ARLINGTON INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL Press Releases

AIFF will be screening narrative and documentary features and shorts plus a special category of short submissions by local and international high school students. There will be provocative conversations with filmmakers/producers, academics, and the business community after special Festival screenings. Join in the fun and keep abreast of the Festival developments

The Arlington International Film Festival

is proud to announce

Linda Shoemaker, Executive Director of the

Arlington Center for the Arts

as Master of Ceremonies for the

9th annual AIFF Poster Contest Reception

Each year the AIFF kicks off its Festival season with an impressive reception celebrating the arts that have included music, poetry, dance,

featuring a keynote speaker, and an exhibit of poster submissions.

– The Arlington International Film Festival returns on Friday, May 10th, 7PM to host the 9th annual

AIFF Poster Contest Announcement/Reception that will be held at the Arlington Center for the Arts,

20 Academy Street, 3rd floor, Arlington.

This year we are honored to work with Robert Maloney’s Illustration class from Massachusetts College of Art. The Contest is juried by professionals in the fields of design and marketing; the winning poster will be unveiled and the winner awarded a cash prize of $500.

In addition to the poster exhibition, we will have with us this year the following talent…internationally renowned opera singer Josaphat Contreras, Poet Laureate of Arlington from 2017 to summer of 2019, Cathie Desjardins,andvisual artist Sandra Mayo. Our keynote speaker for this event is Lily Robles, Partner and Creative Director of Opus Design in Boston.

﻿About the Arlington International Film Festival:

The Arlington International Film Festival (AIFF) offers a unique opportunity for cross-cultural education by promoting understanding of the many cultures represented in our town and beyond. The Festival is a means for recognizing that such diversity enriches our community. We believe that our annual international film festival highlights core values and aspirations we share in common with our culturally diverse neighbors and with all members of the global human family. It is also our goal, through the annual production of the Festival to involve Arlington's youth, artists, filmmakers and professionals in various fields as well as focus on promoting the history of Arlington and its local businesses.

The Festival invites documentary, narrative, animation and experimental shorts and feature film submissions and presents juried awards in each category. Also, we feature a special category of short submissions by high school filmmakers. The 2019 program will be available on-line in October.

8TH ANNUAL Arlington FILM FESTIVAL JURIED AWARDS

Arlington, MA– October 10, 2018 –The 8th annual Arlington International Film Festival, announced the winners of this year’s competition sponsored by RCN, Microsoft, High Output, Rule Boston Camera, Talamas Boston, Century 21 Adams, Watertown Savings Bank, Irving House in Cambridge, and AVID – HB Communications, ZA Restaurant, Arlington, Tryst Restaurant, Acitron Restaurant and Imagine Magazine. The top honors will be presented at the Capitol Theatre during the four days of screenings.

Awards will be given to the following filmmakers in the competitive categories:

Best of Festival Short | ARE YOU VOLLEYBALL? | Mohammad Bakhshi | Iran

Best Feature Documentary | ALI’s COMEBACK | Art Jones | USA

Best Short Documentary | WHIRLWIND | Samantha Smith | USA

Best Feature Narrative | DIE BEST E ALLER WELTEN (The Best of All Worlds) | Adrian Goiginger | Austria

Best Short Narrative | VIOLIN | Konstantin Fam | Russia

Best Short Animation | GOOD BOY | Rachel Beltran | USA.

The filmmaker awards for the 2018 Arlington International Film Festival winners was constructed by artist, Rafael Ramirez and donated to AIFF; Mudflat Studios has reproduced the construction for the presentation of awards. The work is titled, ’Every Man’, a metaphor for the mission of AIFF.

This year’s Student Filmmaker Program is sponsored by Arlington Community Media, Inc (ACMi), Kumon, Malden TV Center, Not Your Average Joe’s, Arlington and Watertown, ZA Restaurant and Yourarlington.com. Awards will be given to the following filmmakers:

The 8th annual AIFF presents

U.S.A. Premieres, An Homage to Women Filmmakers, and

The Student Filmmaker Program

The Arlington International Film Festival (AIFF) is one of the most exciting festivals in New England, screening a selection of indie award-winning films that entertain, educate, empower, and create a cross-cultural bridge with Boston communities. This year AIFF will screen thirteen U.S.A. premieres from Argentina, France, Iran, Lithuania, Portugal, Russia, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, U.K., and U.S.A.

The Festival will open on Thursday evening with a Boston Premiere of SKIDROW MARATHON by filmmakers Mark Hayes and Gabi Hayes who will be joining us for panel discussion following the screening. An award-winning documentary film, Skidrow Marathon addresses crime, addiction, and homelessness countered with the power of hope, friendship, and the regaining of dignity. The Boston Director of Back on My Feet will join us for the discussion, bringing relevance of this L.A. story to our own city of Boston. Theresa Okokon will be our MC and Moderator for the evening.

Friday evening, we welcome home filmmaker Sally Rubin who was raised in Newton and now lives and works in CA with her most recent film, hillbilly. Sally will take the stage for a conversation following the screening to tell us about this personal and political journey into the heart of the Appalachian coalfields, exploring the role of media representation in the creation of the iconic American hillbilly and examining the social, cultural, and political underpinnings of this infamous stereotype.

We close Friday night with TREBLINKA a hypnotic Portuguese production by filmmaker Sergio Trefaut. In a train crossing through Eastern Europe, the cameras play with the reality of the past to the present.

The Student Filmmaker Program is central to the mission of AIFF, to nurture the next generation of filmmakers. The program screens on Saturday at twelve noon with a reception and talk-back moderated by Emerson College students, Nuria Pellicer, Nicolas Thilo-McGovern, and Shuyi Wang. This year’s films witness students taking stock of the diverse array of social issues and through their intense curiosity about the workings of the world, they find a way to communicate to a wider audience, tackling common global issues.

It is an honor to feature a segment of our program as ’An Homage to Women Filmmakers’ that will screen on Saturday afternoon at 5:30 PM. Films are from Boston, Finland, Ireland, and Israel.

The Australian film, MADHATTAN by filmmaker Carolyn Constantine screens on Saturday at 2:15 PM chronicling a milliner’s journey from the Outback to New York’s Fashion Week. Linking AIFF to the Arlington Business Association, 13Forest Gallery will host a Reception/Exhibit/Gallery Talk with Boston’s own premiere milliner, Marie Galvin, milliner to the rich and famous. Other selections include Boston filmmaker Julie Mallozzi’s film, CIRCLE UP, the story of a brutal slaying of a teenage boy, with his mother reaching out to her son’s killer to offer a chance for forgiveness; whereupon, a group of mothers of murdered children organize to help young people in their community break the chain of violence and revenge.

AIFF have a fabulous line-up of international animation shorts to be enjoyed and we close Saturday evening with the screening of the Best Feature Narrative, Die Best E Aller Welten (The Best of All Worlds) by Austrian filmmaker Adrian Goiginer.

The Festival closes on Sunday with the Best Feature Documentary, ALI’S COMEBACK by filmmaker Art Jones. A panel discussion with Art Jones and Boston Attorney Johnathan Shapiro will follow the screening. (Among Atty. Shapiro’s more famous victories was the decision of the United States Supreme Court reversing the conviction of world boxing champion Mahammad Ali in Clay v. United States, 403 U.S.698 (1971).

Screenings of the award–winning films will take place November 1 - 4 at the Capitol Theatre in East Arlington. For more information on films and screening times, please visit https://www.AIFFest.org

2018 Arlington International Film Festival Kick-Off

‘An Homage to the Armenian Community in the Greater Boston Area’

Crows of the Desert – A Hero’s Journey through the Armenian Genocide (62 min)

Marta Houske, Award-winning Writer/Director/Producer | USA | Doc

Executive Producer, Paul G. Turpanjian

Music, John Massari

#AIFFCROWSMOSESIAN2018

SUNDAY, October 7, 4:30 PM

Mosesian Center for the Arts | 321 Arsenal Street | Watertown

Q&A following the screening with Levon Parian, re-nowned photographic artist and grand-son of the subject Levon Yotnakhparian. Parian’s work will be on exhibit in the lobby of the Mosesian Center.

The Arlington International Film Festival (AIFF) is proud to announce their first-time partnership with the Mosesian Center for the Arts to present this award-winning film in commemoration of the Armenian Genocide and an homage to our Armenian community. This event, the 2018 AIFF Kick-Off, will roll out the red carpet for the 8th annual film festival November 1 – 4 at Arlington’s Capitol Theatre.

Levon Parian

CROWS OF THE DESERT – A HERO’S JOURNEY THROUGH THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE is a documentary based on the memoirs of Levon Yotnakhparian. The film recounts the incredible true story of one man’s desperate struggle to not only stay alive but to help save his people from near extinction in the 20th Century’s first genocide.

World War I was raging in the Middle East, as the British fought side by side with the Arabs against the Ottoman Empire. In the midst of the chaos, Levon would lead a small expeditionary group on a daring mission to rescue the scattered, destitute survivors of the Armenian Genocide. Along the way, they would risk their lives countless times, endure unimaginable hardships, and cross paths with some of the 20th century’s most legendary figures – like Prince Faisal and Lawrence of Arabia.

Extraordinarily rare film footage and photographs, as well as recently rediscovered documents, have been gathered from archives around the world to reveal a harrowing journey that is at once heart-wrenching and inspirational.

“The Armenian genocide was the ruthless slaughter of millions of Armenians by the Turks of the Ottoman Empire. In 1915, during World War I, leaders of the Turkish government set in motion a plan to expel and massacre Armenians. By the early 1920s, when the massacres and deportations finally ended, between 600,000 and 1.5 million Armenians were dead, with many more forcibly removed from the country.”

Levon Parian has been referred to as a philosopher and poet of the camera, a renowned photographer whose work encompasses the recognition of the Armenian Genocide. His experimental style pushes the boundaries of photographic self-expression and has been collected by private individuals as well as museums, and universities. He was honored with his artistic colleagues by Foreign Policy Magazine as being “among the 100 leading global thinkers of 2015.” The award was for “preserving the history of a genocide” through the innovative, larger-than-life public installation “iwitness,” showcasing portraits of Armenian genocide survivors created in commemoration of the 100th anniversary. The installation was the first of its kind in Los Angeles’ landmark Grand Park and led to the first permanent memorial in the city of Los Angeles to the Genocide of 1915. Parian has taken his grandfather’s memoirs, editing and translating his memories to give us this first-hand account of the genocide.

HUMANITAS Prize partners with AIFF, First time working with Independent Film Festivals in 44 Years

The Arlington International Film Festival is honored to be invited to participate in the 44th Annual HUMANITAS Prize event taking place in February 2019 in Los Angeles, CA. For the first time in the organization’s 44 years, HUMANITAS is including independently produced festival films in their Prize event.

For the past decade, HUMANITAS partnered solely with The Sundance Film Festival. Executive Director Cathleen Young says the decision to include independently produced festival films in this year’s Prize is to “expand our reach in order to expand our impact.” Since its founding in 1974, HUMANITAS has been dedicated to empowering writers to tell stories through film and television that convey the human experience. Especially in today’s political climate, HUMANITAS recognizes the importance of supporting up-and-coming filmmakers “for the health of our democracy.”it is critically important to support up-and-coming filmmakers for the health of our democracy.

The winner of the HUMANITAS INDEPENDENT FEATURE FILM AWARD will receive a trophy and a cash award of $10,000. Past winners have included MATT RUSKIN - Crown Heights, RYAN COOGLER - Fruitvale Station, DAMIEN CHAZELLE - Whiplash, CHERIEN DABIS - Amreeka, PARIS QUARLES - A Raisin in the Sun, and SALVATORE STABILE - Where God Left His Shoes.

The Arlington International Film Festival is thrilled to partner with HUMANITAS for their 44th Annual HUMANITAS Prize event, and we encourage our filmmakers at AIFF 2018 to apply for this prestigious award. Submissions will be accepted beginning September 1, 2018. For more information about the HUMANITAS Prize, please visit their website

Storyteller Theresa Okokon to be

2018 AIFF Master of Ceremony for Opening Night

We are so excited to have Theresa Okokon be a part of our AIFF team this year to help launch our four-day Festival of bringing people together, sharing stories, and celebrating our global culture.

Amanda Freedman | Tufts University Student & AIFF Volunteer

The Arlington International Film Festival is thrilled to announce that Theresa Okokon will serve as Master of Ceremony for the opening night of the 2018 Festival on November 1st at the Capitol Theatre. As a storyteller, social worker, and yoga teacher, Okokon embodies the spirit of the Festival through her multifaceted work building communities through art and self-expression.

It’s an honor for AIFF in its 8th year to have such a dynamic voice kick off this cinematic celebration of culture and story. A Wisconsin native, Okokon has been telling first-person, personal stories around Boston since 2012. She is the Co-Host of Stories from the Stage, a televised storytelling show that is a collaboration between Massmouth, WGBH & The World Channel, and filmed live at the WGBH studios in Boston.

Okokon’s talent has taken her far, as she has competed in the Massmouth Finals multiple times, and won 3rd place in Season V. She has been a featured teller with Massmouth, StorySpace, The Story Collider, and Suitcase Stories. She also served as a Board Member for Massmouth in 2015-16. Okokon has taught storytelling and coordinated storytelling shows for various organizations around Boston and NYC, and she shares the stories of other Bostonians as a Story Ambassador with Everyday Boston.

In addition to her storytelling feats, Okokon is the Founder of a small business called LEGIT.yoga, where she provides trauma-informed yoga at Boston-area homeless shelters, low-income housing communities and alternative schools. She works part-time supporting the Development Team at the International Institute of New England, a nonprofit organization that provides resettlement and educational support to refugees.

We are so excited to have Theresa Okokon be a part of our AIFF team this year to help launch our four-day Festival of bringing people together, sharing stories, and celebrating our global culture.

About the Arlington International Film Festival:

The Arlington International Film Festival (AIFF) offers a unique opportunity for cross-cultural education by promoting understanding of the many cultures represented in our town and beyond. The Festival is a means for recognizing that such diversity enriches our community. We believe that our annual international film festival highlights core values and aspirations we share in common with our culturally diverse neighbors and with all members of the global human family. It is also our goal, through the annual production of the Festival to involve Arlington's youth, artists, filmmakers and professionals in various fields as well as focus on promoting the history of Arlington and its local businesses.

The Festival invites documentary, narrative, animation and experimental shorts and feature film submissions and presents juried awards in each category. Also, we feature a special category of short submissions by high school filmmakers. The 2018 program will be available on-line in early October.

Community Media Author, Erica Jones to Run the Red Carpet for Opening Night of AIFF 2018

The Arlington International Film Festival is excited to announce that Erica Jones, Membership & Outreach Director at Somerville Media Center (SMC), will be the Red-Carpet Interviewer for the 2018 Festival’s Opening Night on November 1st. Live from the lobby of the Capitol Theatre, Jones will be interviewing filmmakers and panelists who were involved in creating the collection of films to be shown at this year’s Festival.

Since beginning her career in 2009 with community media, Jones has developed a better understanding of grassroots, community media and its significant role in our technologically-driven society. She believes through the use of media and storytelling, social change can take place, which can offer a glimpse into the injustices and uniqueness of many communities. Jones reflects the values of AIFF through her belief in the power and importance of community media, and we are honored to have her tell the story of how the 8th Arlington International Film Festival was curated.

Originally from Upstate, NY, Jones now calls Somerville home and embraces her role as Membership and Outreach Director at SMC. Some of her responsibilities involve marketing and communications, event coordination, partnership and community building, member engagement and support, and intern supervision and mentorship. Not to mention her extensive work facilitating community media productions such as Hello Neighbor, Duck Village Stage Sessions, SCOUTV, Somerville: The Good Ole Days, Aging Well, Legacies: a Journey through the Interesting Lives of Elders, and Maker Space.

Jones also enjoys collaborating on digital storytelling programs which increase awareness about issue-based topics impacting the citizens of Somerville. She has founded several program series that bring people together over a shared passion for film, the media, and community such as

the Cinema Somerville Film Screening series, Rough Cut Media Series, and Potluck & Lecture Series. Jones serves as the Chair of the Alliance for Community Media Northeast Region board of directors.

We are enthusiastic to welcome Erica Jones as a member of the 2018 AIFF team, and cannot wait for her to bring to light the stories of those who have worked behind-the-scenes to create the magic we see on the big screens

Rico St Paul, Winner of the 2018 AIFF Poster Contest

Graphic design, a powerful communication tool!

"Yearning for spring, I approached this piece to commemorate the birthing of a new digital age. Using both traditional and digital materials, from micron pen to found branches to Photoshop blending modes, intended to communicate a directed unison of these methods of creation, both in the future of illustration and cinematic age", an interview with Rico St Paul.

Design

I choose my design and technique in a sort of evolutionary process, which is now actually beginning to be the focus of my work. Immediately, I start to explore deeply the various elements that I want to focus on within the piece. In fact, I initially created a sculpture design for this project, “an international film festival rosebush”. But after hearing from my class, I was really guided to create a stronger correlation and representation to film. I developed the darkness of the film to make it more impactful to the design. Then I layered a film element, not only to play with the depth of the flat scene, but also to balance a crisp form and structure and introduce a loose freeness to the collective mediums

Education

My education was fully within the Malden Mystic Valley Regional Charter School System, from kindergarten to senior year. I’m currently a junior in Mass Art’s Illustration department.

Career Path

In a broad sense, I hope to question my experiences and ideas of reality through my art which is strongly concept driven. Though, in a more practical sense, I aspire to work in either the concept or game design field as a career because of the close attention to the meticulous underlying design work and reasoning of a collectively worked project.

Artist Influences

For the project, I often find inspiration from the works of Alphonse Mocha and Tim Von Rueden, but also of many people in my life, such as Lisa Kennedy and Max Fine.

Favorites Projects

Currently, my favorite projects as of now would either be my “Tree of Ataraxia” acrylic media study, my Rolling Stone’s Mock-up for an assignment, and an upcoming project based on narcissism brought into enlightened awareness as an interactive illustration, which is looking promising.

Approach – Aspiration & Philosophy

When I create my art, I aim to put feeling and life into its movements. I aim to create an experience with the viewer whether that means splitting the image literally in half or viewing the end-product at an angle under glass. My hope is to capture the joy and excitement in discovery in the finished viewing of my work and i hope that communication can evoke a wonder in the viewer.

AIFF Poster Contest, an Opportunity to Create a PortfoliO

A reception was held on Friday, April 26th at the Arlington Friends of the Drama where Arlington International Film Festival's (AIFF) Organizers celebrated the 8th annual Poster Competition. With the founding of AIFF in 2010, the first project to spin-off connecting film with the arts was the Poster Competition. This is the second year that AIFF has partnered exclusively with Robert Maloney’s Experimental Illustration class at Mass College of Art & Design. It has been a successful partnership where junior and senior level students have had the opportunity to create a beautiful portfolio piece that could help them in launching their careers. Participating art students were: Ariel Brenna, Aiden Gerstmyer, Kelsey Grass, Austin Harvey, Matthew Jenkins, Madeline Morizzo, Eliza Petithory, Rico St Paul, and Rachel White.

This year’s winning design was created by Rico St Paul, a junior at Mass College of Art & Design, a native of Everett, MA. The gifted art student was recognized by the esteemed jury: David Ardito, Jennifer Cheng DesAutels, Marc Gurton, Erica Licea-Kane, and Niloufer Moochhala. Rico was awarded a cash prize of $500.

Rico St Paul said, “Yearning for spring, I approached this piece to commemorate the birthing of a new digital age. Using both traditional and digital materials, from micron pen to found branches to photoshop blending modes, I intended to communicate a directed unison of these methods of creation, both in the future of illustration and cinematic age.”

The Festival Organizers recognize that graphic design is more than a mere discipline; it is a powerful tool to transform and communicate. Congratulations to artist, Rico St Paul on a very compelling design that will become the international face of the 2018 Festival.

The Reception officially kicks-off this year’s Arlington International Film Festival, scheduled for November 1 – 4 at the Capitol Theatre in East Arlington.

AIFF is indeed more than a film festival …it celebrates the arts! The evening began with an exhibition of poster design submissions and music provided by Colombian musicians, Nicolas Castaneda (harp) and Javier Vivas (clarinet).

Guests were invited into the theater for the program, MC’ed by James Milan, Outreach Coordinator for ACMi. The program commenced with a beautiful performance titled “Dream” by the dance troupe lead by international artist, choreographer and dance teacher, Siwen Jiang.

A conversation with Adria Arch and Stephanie Muriel, Co-chairs of the Commission on Arts & Culture and Jennifer Raitt, Director of Planning & Development for the town of Arlington focused on the role of the Commission on Arts & Culture and the role of the Planning Department in its support of the arts in Arlington. The conversation provided an overview of the history of the Commission, it’s achievement on Arlington’s designation as a ‘cultural district’, as well as its plans for the future.

Cheryl Hamilton, a recognized storyteller in New England, Coordinator for Massmouth, a local non-profit promoting the timeless art of storytelling and curator of the national television show ‘Stories from the Stage’ in partnership with WGBH and World Channel, Cheryl shared a personal story with us about her introduction to working with refugees in her home town of Lewistown, ME. Cheryl has devoted her career to advancing refugee protection and immigrant integration.

Sponsors of this year’s Poster Contest were Watertown Savings Bank and Microsoft. We thank our partners, the Arlington Friends of the Drama and the Asian Cultural Center of Cambridge for their support

About Arlington Friends of the Drama

Arlington Friends of the Drama, now known as AFD Theatre, was founded in 1923 and is one of the ten oldest continually operating community theater groups in the United States. AFD is indeed among the finest community theaters in Massachusetts for actors, directors, production designers, and audiences to produce and enjoy live theater. They design and produce a season of four shows every year, usually including comedy, drama, and two musicals. They are currently engaged in their 95th season with an upcoming show of, “Unnecessary Farce” by Paul Slade Smith, directed by Stephen Rourke, running May 11-20.

Asian Cultural Center in Cambridge

Established in 1999, the Asian Cultural Center, an affiliated member of the Asian Culture & Media Group is a cultural exchange and communication organization committed to presenting and spreading the traditional Chinese culture, promoting the popularization of the Chinese language and facilitating cultural exchange between China and the United States. ACC is headquartered in Manhattan, New York and has offices in Boston, Washington D.C. and Chicago. Since its establishment, ACC has successfully held cultural and educational exchange programs such as performances, exhibitions, lectures, academic forums and summer camps across Eastern and Central United States with the joint participation of renowned experts, scholars, and artists from China and local arts and cultural organizations.

AIFF & MICROSOFT Partners IN 2018

The Arlington International Film Festival (AIFF) is thrilled to announce MICROSOFT as a sponsor of this years Festival. After seventh year of of production AIFF is proud to have MICROSOFT as sponsor. Movie lovers will interact with Microsoft during the 4 days festival at the Capitol Thetare. Virtualy Reality - is what we experience as human and XBox Games And Entertainment will be part of November 1 to 4 at the Capitol Theatre

AIFF and Imagine Magazine Partners IN 2018

ACTON MA | Thursday, April 12 Edgar Allan Poe: Buried Alive

ACMi: Leader in Multimedia Community Access TV Sponsor of the 2017 AIFF Student Filmmaker Awards Program

The Arlington International Film Festival (AIFF) is thrilled to announce Arlington Community Media, Inc.’s (ACMi) seventh year of sponsorship. With their support, AIFF features a 2-hour juried program, screening local, national and international high school filmmaker’s shorts followed by a discussion and reception.

It can be said that AIFF was born in the conference room at ACMi. It was the scene of many initial discussions - strategic planning, film screenings, poster contest judging, and receptions. As AIFF has grown in breadth and scope, ACMi has also grown professionally, expanding its offerings of workshops and programming. It is with great pride that we commend ACMi on receiving two awards this year from The Alliance for Community Media, a national organization that sponsors the Hometown Video Awards which this year received more than a thousand nominations from all over the country. Both original productions, the winners are Recycle Right, recipient of theGovernment Activities Award and A. Book’s Review, recipient of the Mixed and Transmedia Award.

About ACMi

Arlington Community Media is dedicated to providing an electronic forum for the free exchange of information and ideas which reflect the talents, skills, interests, concerns, and diversity of the Arlington community. It is a place to learn new skills through numerous workshops and events, connect with others through meet-ups and youth groups, join a crew, and make your own TV show!

The Arlington International Film Festival (AIFF) is thrilled to announce the leading after school program in reading and math, KUMON as sponsor of the 2017 AIFF Student Filmmaker Awards Program.

About Kumon

KUMON is the World’s Largest after School Learning Program in Arlington and 47 locations around the world. Kumon began with a parent’s love. Determined to help his eight-year-old son, a math teacher named Toru Kumon developed the materials and guiding principles of the Kumon Method. Today, Kumon is helping millions of children succeed in the classroom and in life. Their goal is to empower children to become self-learners, helping students achieve more than they ever thought possible.

Through ongoing enrichment programs, KUMON helps students demonstrate true understanding and proficiency in math by learning how to do mental calculations quickly and accurately, without relying on a calculator, complete homework, tests and exams more quickly and with less stress, and to build a rich vocabulary and strong grammar skills-including punctuation, spelling and correct sentence structure.

MALDEN MEDIA TV CENTER more than a Collaborative Partner – Sponsor of the 2017 Student Filmmaker Awards Program

MATV is a nonprofit membership-based corporation that was established for the management and operation of the Public, Education, and Government (PEG) Access channels in Malden, MA. Established in 1988, their mission is to connect community, promote civic engagement, and nurture arts and culture in the City of Malden.

MATV is not just about what you see on their channels. They are a vibrant community center, a gathering place for people of all ages and backgrounds to meet, to learn, and to work together - to make media! You can participate by volunteering, being a guest on a show, taking workshops in media production, producing your own program, taking part in an art exhibit in the MATV Gallery or helping on a community project.

The Arlington International Film Festival (AIFF) is thrilled to announce that YourArlington.com, CambridgeDay.com, and InsideMedford.com has signed-on to sponsor the 2017 AIFF Student Filmmaker Awards Program.

YourArlington.com has delivered the freshest news and the sharpest opinions about the town since 2006. Managed by veteran journalist and longtime resident Bob Sprague, the web presence is the only Arlington-based 24/7 media site. Since the inception of AIFF in 2010, YourArlington.com has been a strong supporter as well as an advocate. Today we are proud to have their sponsorship along with a newly formed digital media block.

InsideMedford.com is Medford's first online-only news source founded in 2007 by Allison Goldsberry, a lifelong resident of Medford.

CALL FOR Volunteers for the 2017 AIFF Festival Season

The Arlington International Film Festival (AIFF), now in its 7th year is putting out a call for Volunteers that can assist the organizers with Pre-Festival and Festival needs. Indeed, a film festival is fun to produce, but WE can't do it all ourselves; we need YOU to have a successfully festival.

The Festival will take place at the Arlington Capitol Theatre from October 26-29. If you resonate with our mission, to foster appreciation for different cultures by exploring the lives of people around the globe through independent film and you have any of the following skill sets, we would love to hear from you.

PRE-FESTIVAL Positions:

1) Website Maintenance Administrator: We have several events during the year and the calendar needs to be kept up-to-date. The largest project is posting the program in mid-September with dates, synopsis and trailers.

2) Social Media Administrator: Provided with a calendar and posts, we need to have an active presence leading up to the Festival as well as during the Festival featuring film screenings, directors, and panel discussions.

FESTIVAL Positions (October 26-29):

1) Volunteer Coordinator: Working with our volunteer pool, assign shifts with Captains and Assistants. Training prior to the Festival is imperative for a smooth operation which includes point of sale system (Square).

2) Set-up/Tear-down Team: Essential part of the festival; setting up table in lobby with merchandise, festival passes, stanchions to indicate area for line-up, step & repeat for interviews and filming, chairs for panel discussions and microphones readied.

3) Captains/Assistants/Floaters: We need a Captain for each shift and Assistants to help with those picking-up pre-paid Festival Passes, selling Festival Passes, selling AIFF canvas bags, receiving Directors and Special Guests, filmmakers, and media. Managing the wait-line in the lobby for next film attendees; assisting with panel discussions, mic-runners; assisting with the receptions that happen off-site in the neighborhood following a screening; assisting with Opening Night direction to after-party; assisting with reception for High School Filmmaker’s Reception following the program screening. Floaters are always needed on each shift to help with the unforeseen.

4) Greeters: Will be outside the Theater at the ticket window to assist patrons coming to the Festival either with purchasing tickets or picking-up Passes.

5) Ushers: Ushers will greet people at the door of the theater (after Capitol Staff has taken tickets), offering a program and assistance to their seats.

AIFF Celebrates its Partnership with EAST SOMERVILLE MAIN STREETS ORGANIZATION

The Arlington International Film Festival (AIFF) is honored to announce its partnership with EAST SOMERVILLE MAIN STREETS with the screening of a special program of international shorts presented on the following Fridays at 8:30 PM: July 28th - August 25th - September 29th

The screenings will take place at East Somerville’s Chuckie Harris Park | Art and Music will start at 7:00 pm | Movie 8:30 pm

3-17 Cross Street, a lovely inclusive space for a collaboration of summer events that are free and open to the public. These Fridays will include artist, Jorge Enrique Cifuentes Rojas and musicians, Dan Fox, director of Morningside Music Studio Jazz Combo.

Collaboration is about the process of bringing the best of what people and organizations have to offer and working together to realize mutual goals. Since AIFF’s inception, the organizers have collaborated with organizations, businesses, fellow film festivals and lovers of film in the Greater Boston area to achieve its mission of fostering appreciation for different cultures by exploring the lives of people around the globe through independent film.

Art and Music will start at 7:00 pm | Movie 8:30 pm

Friday, July 28, 8:30 PM

Broadway and Cross Street East

East Somerville/Chuckie Harris Park

Brian Truglio - a local filmmaker from Somerville, MA, has fused his passion for running with his strong connection to the people and culture of the Navajo Nation in Arizona. Racing the Rez is a documentary that tells the story of Navajo and Hopi runners from two rival high school cross country teams in northern Arizona who are fighting for a state championship. hot over two years, it focuses on how the sport impacts the lives of five boys growing up on the reservation and helps them confront the challenges they face on and off the course.

RCN – GOLD SPONSOR of the 2017 ARLINGTON INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

The Arlington International Film Festival is extremely proud to announce RCN as their returning Gold Sponsor of this year’s Festival. Film as a means of communication is an important component of our culture; thus, our partnership with RCN, a dedicated communications provider is especially meaningful.

The 7-year partnership between AIFF and RCN has set the stage for the town of Arlington becoming a destination for viewing some of the best indie films produced locally, nationally and internationally. This year’s festival is scheduled for October 26-29.

Specialty Coffee as a vehicle for positive change!

It is an honor for the Arlington International Film Festival (AIFF) to partner this year with the esteemed Dean’s Beans Organic Coffee Co. We have tremendous respect for their integrity and the work they do to ensure people-centered development all the while caring for the environment.

For over two decades Dean’s Beans Organic Coffee Co, mission has been clear: To use high quality specialty coffee as a vehicle for progressive change throughout the coffee lands of Asia, Africa and the Americas. They do this through activism, ecological responsibility and innovative direct development programs with their cooperative partners.

Dean’s Beans Organic Coffee Co takes their work very seriously and have been recognized internationally for the quality of their coffee and of their work in the world Some highlights include:

They continue to work tirelessly to educate consumers and other coffee companies to appreciate and hopefully adopt some of their trade practices. You can participate in that process as an Intern or a Java trekker. https://deansbeans.com/

The Arlington International Film Festival (AIFF) is proud to announce AVALON DANCE & FITNESS as a new sponsor, supporting the film awards for best in category of the 2017 Festival.

AVALON is a fitting sponsor as AIFF has demonstrated it is more than a film festival; it is a celebration of the arts. The art of dance has been featured in past year’ screenings; i.e. The Maiden Danced to Death by Hungarian filmmaker Endre Hules and Tango Passion by filmmaker Brian Fiore. AIFF has featured dance companies of various genres at their Kick-Offs and Closing Ceremonies.

Director/Owner, Peter Walker of Avalon Dance & Fitness located at 345 Trapelo Road in Belmont is certified as a Fellow in International Ballroom, International Latin, American Ballroom, American Rhythm and Theater Arts with the United States Terpsichore Association (USTA) and is also a Championship Adjudicator. He is currently teaching Pro-Am students, coaching Amateur and Professional couples, and judging competitions across the US. Together with his professional staff, individual and class instruction is offered in dance and fitness.

Peter began dancing at the age of 5 in his native country of England. He trained in International Ballroom, International Latin, Ballet, Tap and Modern dance throughout his childhood and into his early twenties. During this time, Peter made the final of the British Junior, Youth, and Under 21 Latin Final, World Under 21 Latin and Standard Final, won the Italian Open Under 21 Standard, and was the runner up in the Italian Open Under 21 Latin. Peter was also awarded a scholarship to attend the Royal Ballet School in London.

At the age of 22, Peter took a 7-year sabbatical from his dance career, returned to the dance industry in 2003, when he moved to Boston MA, and began to teach. Since that time, Peter has had many successes with his students which include:

The Arlington International Film Festival (AIFF) is proud to announce its second year of partnership with Tartufo Restaurant. Tartufo sponsored the AIFF’s International Shorts Program that was screened on the Greenway in 2016. This year Tartufo is a supporter of the film awards for best in category of the 2017 Festival. Award-winning cuisine coupled with award-winning films is indeed a winning combination

About Tartufo Restaurant

Tartufo Restaurant is a Southern Italian restaurant featuring authentic, unique, Abruzzese cuisine. Located in Newton Centre, they specialize in chef-prepared dishes-homemade to order-with all-natural ingredients, in a bistro with inviting ambiance. Tartufo is the restaurant for a weekly treat or a very special occasion where you can sit back, relax, and enjoy delicious Italian food, as well as a wide selection of premium wines.

Tartufo was created by Owner/Manager Anna Mountzuris and Owner/Executive Chef Dante Bellucci. Chef Dante Bellucci, was born and raised in Pescara, Abruzzi (Italy) and specializes in seafood. He has 34 years’ experience as a chef, 20 of those years in the US. Dante was formerly Head Chef at Marino’s Restaurant in Cambridge. https://tartuforestaurant.com

IRVING HOUSE, a charming B&B in the heart of Harvard Square Sponsor of AIFF

Irving House has served travelers coming to Cambridge since 1945. In its early years, the house was the annex of The Kirkland Inn and the home of the Misho family who operated the Inn until 1990. The current owners have kept the same warm hospitality that was well known and kindly remembered by the guests.

On their strong foundation, the Owners have been making improvements to the house and the operations in response to the helpful comments of guests ever since. They are continually involved with the care and renovations of the house, updating the rooms, improving technologies and expanding amenities for their guests

Book a room at Irving House Cambridge Bed and Breakfast – in the heart of Cambridge! Enjoy the shops, restaurants, culture & everything Cambridge offers! Whether you are a long-time guest, or visiting Irving House for the first time, you will be welcomed and treated to an enjoyable, comfortable and relaxing stay. Irving House…a little gem in the midst of Harvard Square. https://www.irvinghouse.com/

AIFF and Century 21 Adams have been working together for several years and the support of such an up-standing company has been extremely appreciated.

About Century 21 Adams

In 1989, Century 21 Adams established in Arlington, MA. Over the next twenty plus years the company has grown in size while maintaining its commitment to provide the highest quality real estate service in the marketplace. Their success is measured not by the number of sales made, but by the manner in which they conduct business on behalf of their clients.

Because of this philosophy, Century 21 Adams joined the top 10 Century 21 offices in New England and became a National Award Winning Company every year since 1992. In 2006, the company received the Centurion designation, determined by gross closed commission, along with the Quality Service Pinnacle Award, for the highest level of customer satisfaction. Ultimately earning the Presidential Award, and ranking the Arlington office as #1 in New England.

In 2010, Century 21 Adams acquired Century 21 Avon in Cambridge, MA. From the beginning, their commitment to their client’s well-being has fueled their growth since 1989 and continue to do so.

CASA B TAPAS: Innovative tapas Supporter of AIFF

The Arlington International Film Festival (AIFF) is proud to announce CASA B Tapas in Somerville as a new sponsor of the 7th Annual AIFF. Casa B Tapas is sponsoring this year’s filmmakers.

About Casa B

They are Alberto Cabré, from San Juan, Puerto Rico and Angelina Jockovich from Barranquilla, Colombia, owners and founders of Casa B Tapas. They developed their ideas, through their catering business (Tentempié) and created a test kitchen in 2008, where they refined recipes, tested settings and established the ambiance and atmosphere that would remind them of their Caribbean homes.

The name Casa B is the combination of two words having personal significance: Casa, meaning home, the shelter where the warmth of a family is felt, the roots of a culture are shared and traditions are passed on. B

Comes from Chef Alberto’s maternal grandfather, Ernesto Bobonis. Bobonis believed in the unity of family and friends and in bringing everyone together through the irresistibly of his food, in the warmth of his home. From him, the palate was developed, recipes were learned and a passion for cooking was inherited. Therefore, in his honor, the name is carried.

Casa B is a modern interpretation of the traditional Spanish tasca, located in Somerville’s Union Square. Their tapas restaurant and cocktail/rum bar embraces the romance, warmth and spice of Latin America. It has strong culinary roots in the Spanish Caribbean cuisines of the Island of Puerto Rico and Colombia’s Atlantic Coast, drawing further inspiration from many other Latin American countries and Spain. They offer a split-level atmosphere, where the warm and inviting dining room is in the lower level and the bar is located on the ground level. http://casabrestaurant.com/

The Arlington International Film Festival… promoting many voices and stories that transform lives!

The Arlington International Film Festival (AIFF) is the sponsor of a bi-monthly television series titled Conversations with AIFF. The series is an extension of its mission to promote the next generation of filmmakers featuring conversations with directors, editors, and those people in industries that support the making of films, providing a closer look at the range of media to complete a production from photography, audio, writing, and research. Conversations provide a behind the scenes understanding of the art of film making as well as its role as a contributor to the arts. The audience is diverse from those interested in making films to those that are just curious about the process.

The second Conversation was dedicated to the art of editing, featuring filmmaker Alice Bouvrie and editor Bernice Schneider, both extremely accomplished in their fields. Having worked on a couple of films together, they have developed a tight working relationship and have shared their experience of creating successful productions.

"The program I participated in at ACMI for AIFF was so fun as I love talking about the film making process and about the collaboration with my editor, Bernice Schneider for my film, A Chance To Dress. Alison fromHigh Output was a great interviewer and made me feel comfortable in front of the camera, a place I'm not used to being! It's always a pleasure to support April and Alberto and all of the wonderful things they do on behalf of filmmakers and film making - the Arlington International Film Festival is the best"

Editing generally involves sifting through numerous amounts of footage, sometimes great filming but the job is to identify what footage is necessary and the sequence that will unfold a compelling story. This is the art of editing, communicating the intended message of the filmmaker by setting the mood, the pacing, lighting, music…all elements that assist in setting the stage to tell the story.

This process is often best achieved when an intimate relationship is developed between the filmmaker and the editor. The filmmaker begins with an interest in a story and a goal they would like to achieve. The editor is the artist that is able to bring that goal to fruition, communicating the intended message.

There are several techniques that are used by successful editors. It is suggested to prepare a script for shooting, a storyboard or if it is not a scripted production, an overview of your program. This will be the blueprint for your production. A shooting script lists the action shot by shot, along with proposed camera angles and framing.

A storyboard is prepared by sketching or illustrating each scene. It's a great opportunity to see what will work before you shoot it.

An overview should include the chronology of shots as they will appear in the video, approximate timing for each shot, and information about accompanying audio, and graphics and titles for each scene.

Next, prepare a shot sheet. Make sure it includes every shot listed in your script or overview. Get several shots of each item on the list.

Thank you for your interest and stay tuned to the 3rd Conversation in the series!

AIFF and Arlington Community Media, Inc, (ACMi) is the producer of this series and High Output

For more information, visit http://aiffest.org or email arlingtonfilmfest@gmail.com.

the WINNER

“The imagery of the film reel and flags over a colorful painted surface lets the viewer know about the art and creativity that happens at this international film show”.

Joshua said he is better at computer art than drawing, and leaned on his Photoshop skills to create the final product. Surprised to be named the winner, he thinks producing another poster would be fun.

Awards Reception at Old Schwamb Mill Museum | April 28, 2017

Joshua Chace, a 24-year-old senior at Massachusetts College of Art and Design was named the winner of the Arlington International Film Festival’s 2017 Poster Competition.

A brief Q&A with Joshua after the announcement and award at the Reception held on April 28th revealed the following….

Q: How did you conceive of the idea behind the process and design of your poster?

Joshua: The process was inspired by image transfer techniques demonstrated in my Experimental Illustration class. The imagery was based on conveying the idea of ‘film’, ‘international’, and ‘festival’. This led me to use the film reel, flags, and an exciting color palette of red, yellow, blue.

Q: As a student in the field of the arts and as an artist, how did your life experience help you with the design?

Joshua: Movies have been a huge inspiration in my making/creating art. I thought that this poster design should look like a movie poster, so I made the composition dynamic and the film reel the main character.

Q: In the process of completing your design how did your ideas become expressed in the colors, shapes, emotion and aesthetics?

Joshua: Making the poster readable and interesting at a distance was a primary focus and when glancing at it, what was most important. I made the film reel huge, red and orange to be the loudest thing that spoke out. The background elements such as the flags that are somewhat faded complete the theme and compliment the focus of the reel.

Q: As one of the guidelines for this project, students were given the AIFF mission statement. At what point if any did this influence your overall design concept?

Joshua: The AIFF mission is conveyed in its celebratory colors and international flags. This event is for everyone and it’s a very happy celebration of various genres of film from around the world.

Q: Final evaluation of your work?

Joshua: This poster was made for an Experimental Illustration class, so the techniques I employed were new to me, and I believe it was a successful piece to use as an example of my new artwork as well as a great portfolio piece. https://www.joshuachace.com/

Conversations with Indie Filmmakers 2nd in the Series

The Arlington International Film Festival (AIFF) is pleased to announce the 2nd conversation in the series, Conversations with Indie Filmmakers, a collaboration with Arlington Community Media, Inc. (ACMI). Conversations is a bi-monthly series of interviews with Indie Filmmakers, the purpose of this series being to offer insight into the creative world of film making and share the personal journey of a filmmaker in making and producing a film.

These conversations are intended to empower the indie filmmaking community, create platform for sharing experience and knowledge… the insider’s world of the do’s and don’ts of producing a film about scripting, writing, casting, directing, lighting, etc.

The 2nd conversation will be with filmmaker, Alice Bouvrie, film editor, Bernice Schneider moderated by Alison Cupples of High Output Boston.

Alice Bouvrie has over 25 years of film and documentary experience. She earned a Master's Degree in Film Production from Boston University and a Master's Degree in Intercultural Relations from Lesley University. In 2005 Bouvrie was selected to participate in the Filmmaker-In-Residence Lab at WGBH for the 2005-06 year. She is an active member of the Director's Guild of America, and an active member and former board member of Women in Film & Video/New England. As a graduate of the DGA Producer's Training Program out of New York, (DGA Trainee) she worked as an Assistant Director on feature films, TV series and specials, commercials and industrials. Alice began producing documentaries as an independent 1993 and has completed four feature-length, award winning films that have screened at festivals, in theaters, museums and Universities around the country. Her first film co-produced with Teresa Metcalf, Living Under the Cloud: Chernobyl Today exposes the health and environmental effects of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. Iditarod...A Far Distant Place follows three mushers racing against time and the elements in the long-distance Iditarod sled dog race in Alaska. Her award-winning film, Prison Pups explores prison reform through a dog program where inmates raise and train puppies to be service dogs. Thy Will Be Done: A transsexual woman’s journey through family and faith, profiles Sara Herwig, a Male-to-Female transsexual who is a candidate for ordination in the Presbyterian church and is currently being distributed through New Day Films, a distribution cooperative. A Chance To Dress was recently completed in March 2015, and is currently part of the New Day Films collection. Other films produced include two short works for the educational market, Am I Home Yet?, 5 Au Pairs in Boston, and William Wyman Artist Potter.

Bernice Schneider is an award-winning documentary film editor. She received her Masters of Science in Visual Studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Media Lab under the direction of Richard Leacock. Bernice has edited numerous films for PBS’s American Experience, Frontline, Nova Science Unit, American Masters, and Independent Lens. She edited the feature-length independent documentary film, Rebel, about the politics of national memory as viewed through the lens of the secret life of a Latina confederate soldier. Another feature, Angkor’s Children, focuses on a grassroots movement to reinvigorate the arts in post-genocide Cambodia. Angkor’s Children has screened nationally and internationally, including within Cambodia at the Bophana Film Center. She edited Alice Bouvrie’s film A Chance to Dress, winner of the Arlington International Film Festival’s Best Short 2015. She also completed A Perfect Crime: the Leopold and Loeb Story for American Experience in 2016. Most recently, she completed editing Laurel Chiten’s documentary, Just One Drop which premiered in London in 2017. Her films have screened at prestigious museums, both nationally and internationally. Bernice also worked in the field with national correspondent Charlayne Hunter-Gault for PBS’s Newshour in Kenya, South Africa, Haiti and Somalia, where she edited stories on political and cultural change in the developing world. She has received honors and awards for her work including a Wallis Annenberg scholarship for women filmmakers, a CINE Golden Eagle, the Biographical Video Award, and an N.E.A. Regional Fellowship. Bernice also teaches editing at Emerson College.

Alison Cupples began her study ofphotography in high school and from there went on to Emerson College to develop her skills in Photography and Film. She graduated from Emerson College in 2003 and began to freelance. While freelancing, she broadened her skills in all areas of filmmaking as she was producing, shooting, and assisting in the editing process in addition to liaising with clients and developing projects of her own. Looking for a bit more stability, Alison joined the High Output team as an account executive in 2008 and has invested a lot of time researching lighting and lighting technology. She is thrilled to play a part in many of the productions that come through the area and to have relationships with filmmakers from all parts of our local community. Alison is also involved with the Jamaica Plain Arts Council as a board member which most prominently organizes Jamaica Plain Open Studios among other events and educational efforts that take place in the Jamaica Plain community throughout the year. Alison looks forward to a long career continuing with work in the local arts communities and using art and media as an integral part of social justice and change.

High Output Inc. is a premier supplier of production services and equipment for film, television, theater, and events, with offices in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Maine, Georgia, and South Carolina. Founded in 1986 with an emphasis on state-of-the-art technology and superior customer service, High Output supports feature film, television, theater, live music, political events, corporate meetings, fundraisers, parties, and much more. The firm also designs and installs technologically advanced permanent lighting, AV, and rigging systems in venues of all kinds, and operates five sound stages for film and television production. For more information, please visit www.highoutput.com.

Film making is more than just rolling a camera and capturing a subject. It embraces many aspects of the arts and can include music, dance, theater, staging/carpentry, storytelling/poetry, the fine arts, photography, drawing/animation and puppetry. Our goal with Conversations is to engage the arts across all spectrum's. We hope you tune-in to this program, whether you are a seasoned filmmaker, an aspiring filmmaker or an appreciative audience of creative film!

Mission Statement: To foster appreciation for different cultures by exploring the lives of people around the globe through independent film — to nurture the next generation of filmmakers within our community.

7th Annual AIFF 2017 FESTIVAL PASS On Sale!

Planning to attend the Arlington International Film Festival October 26th – 29th?

A Festival Pass entitles you to all film screenings and after-parties as well as the Special Opening Night Screening and Reception.

*Please note that passes will not be mailed but available for pick-up at the

Capitol Theatre Lobby AIFF table on October 26th at 5 pm and through-out the Festival.

The Arlington International Film Festival is much more than just a film festival; it is a celebration of cultures as well as being a platform for recognizing the common global human experience. Please come and share these experiences with us.

So what are you waiting for? Buy your Festival Pass now and

we’ll see you at the Capitol Theatre in October!Arlington International Film Festival

CELEBRATING A SUCCESSFUL PARTNERSHIP WITH

Mass College of Art & Design

At a reception held on April 28th at the Old Schwamb Mill Museum, Arlington International Film Festival (AIFF) organizers celebrated the seventh annual Poster Contest Competition. Not just a film festival…the reception was a celebration of many art forms from an exhibition of the poster illustrations, live music, poetry and story-telling, bringing together the art students with their professor, the contest judges, artists and appreciators of the arts. The chosen poster was unveiled, the winner, Joshua Chace was announced and awarded a cash prize of $500 by the festival’s sponsor, Watertown Savings Bank. The reception was the launch of this year’s international film festival, scheduled to be held October 26-29 at the Capitol Theatre.

With the founding of AIFF in 2010, the first project to spin-off connecting film with the arts was the Poster Contest. This year the offer to participate in the Competition went out exclusively to Robert Maloney’s Experimental Illustration class at Mass College of Art and Design. It has been a successful partnership where junior and senior level students have had the opportunity to create a beautiful portfolio piece that could help them in launching their careers.

Professor Robert Maloney was the guest speaker at the reception. A Massachusetts native, Robert has a Masters of Fine Arts from Massachusetts College of Art and Design. His recent work focuses on the connections between the temporary materials of our man-made, urban structures and how these fragile forms relate to the erosion of memory. His work has been featured in Creative Quarterly Magazine, Cloth Paper Scissors Magazine, The Pulse of Mixed Media, Art Revolution and Art scope Magazine. Maloney’s work is held in the collection of Wellington Management, Liberty Mutual and private collections with his exhibitions, commissions and publications being numerous.

Joshua Chace | winner of the 2017 Poster Contest Competition

MEET the WINNNER: Joshua Chace is a senior at Mass College of Art and Design. His artist statement for his submission is: “The imagery of the film reel and flags over a colorful painted surface lets the viewer know about the art and creativity that happens at this international film show”. Joshua said he is better at computer art than drawing, and leaned on his Photoshop skills to create the final product. Surprised to be named the winner, he thinks producing another poster would be fun.

MEET the STUDENTS and READ THEIR REMARKS:

BAILEY BURGESS: “I wanted to try to convey both the subject of the festival (film) while simultaneously nodding to the international element and keeping it graphic and simple.”

TYLER BETTENCOURT: “I decided to create an image that related to the festival but also had my own personal spin on it. I centered my image around the façade of the Capitol Theatre itself and then added a UFO-like ship above in the shape of a film reel, bringing a fun and unique approach to the scene.”

KIEL EVINS: “My approach was to depict the Capitol Theatre in Arlington as if it was a set of a production. Using a laser cutter, I created a miniature model that I later photographed to make this small world come to life.”

KARA MACKIE: “I wanted to depict the global nature of the festival very literally, and the marquee was a fun way to incorporate both type and cinema.”

ERIN McCARTHY: “I really wanted to illustrate the diversity that this event holds so close to their hearts. Showing a diverse garden of flowers from around the world flourishing together with creativity and passion!”

MICHELLE NUTTER: “With this poster, I wanted to highlight the celebratory nature of the Arlington International Film Festival. Bringing all different cultures and countries together through film.”

ERIC SORENSEN: “This piece was meant to explore the concept of intercontinental connection by personifying an amalgam of different landscapes from all over the world. I used cut book board to build up a multi-layered surface and give the work a three-dimensional quality.”

JACK TURNBULL: “This poster borrows heavily from the Newspaper Illustrations of Nell Brinkley, who focused on female protagonists in various settings. To put an emphasis on the International element of the festival, I depicted my figures in a variety of races and genders. it is an homage to movie romance; sensual, passionate, elegant.”

2017 AIFF Judges Statements

“There were several very outstanding concepts, which speaks very highly of the thoughtfulness with which the artists approached the project. In addition, all of the pieces showed sophistication of technical ability in each artist’s chosen media. I placed strong weight on the way each design potentially fulfills its purpose: To be displayed ‘on the street’ to motivate the general public to learn more about AIFF and buy tickets. Because of this, I looked for a clear concept that could be interpreted from a viewing distance ranging from about 5 feet to across a street. I also judged the entries at face value. Other than typography, I assumed (as in previous years) that each submission must be evaluated as-is, rather than for their potential. In other words, although a design could be altered to improve upon it, reworking the design is not an option, even if the concept is strong and the image is intriguing.”

“This year’s work was very enjoyable to review. The conceptual abstraction of the illustrations from Mass Art students was exciting to consider, and the different stylistic applications made it is a spirited judging process!”

“I appreciated the obvious effort that all students gave to this poster design contest. The challenge was really three-fold: to create an impactful design, to communicate specific information about the AIFF and to underscore the international aspect of the film festival.

The discussion included weighing the literal against the more abstract and the design’s “readability” up close vs. from a distance. It was difficult to choose just one winner. Congratulations to all students for their creative effort. It was a pleasure working with the other judges. The give and take during the judging was robust and deliberative”.

David Ardito - K-12 Director of Visual Art, Arlington Public Schools - Visual Artist and Former recent member of the Art Education Faculty at Mass College of Art and Design

Music, Storytelling and Poetry:

Carl Romeo, originally from Chile moved to San Francisco, CA and in 1979, he joined the Guitar Institute of Technology (GIT) in Hollywood, CA, now the Musicians Institute. For many years, Romeo worked with a Latin promoter that managed famous Latin singers among them Armando Manzanero and Paloma San Basilio. His career has included working with orchestras as well as lead electric guitar and rhythm guitar player for big bands and groups as well as a session studio musician.

Brendyn Schneider, Storyteller extraordinaire! Professional story spinner, published writer, performance instructor, and TedX Coach, Brendyn Schneider has been a featured storyteller at Emerson College, Coolidge Corner Theater, Improv Boston and other fine venues across New England. Making frequent appearances with Mass Mouth and the Moth, Brendyn takes his audiences on story-trips of wit through the follies of growing-up and the everyday slog.

Shirley Gerald Ware is the author of eight books and the publisher of a worldwide magazine that publishes teens and adults locally and worldwide. She is widely known for her engaging poems and short stories; many of her poems have been nominated for awards. Ware was recently named Author of the Month by “Eye on Magazine.”

Come celebrate the 7th edition of the AIFF Poster Contest

The Arlington International Film Festival (AIFF) kicks off the season with its seventh annual Poster Competition; the Press Announcement and Reception will be held on Friday, April 28th, 7:00 PM at the Old Schwamb Mill Museum, 14 Mill Lane in Arlington.

This year the offer to participate in the Competition went out exclusively to Robert Maloney’s Experimental Illustration class of 17 students at Massachusetts College of Art and Design. The Reception will host an exhibition of all poster submissions, live music, storytelling, poetry reading, a special guest speaker and the unveiling of the winning poster for AIFF 2017

It cannot be denied that the arts are an essential component of a vibrant community. AIFF is pleased to be a piece of the cultural arts fabric, contributing to the development of a strong civic profile and defining a unique identity for Arlington. More than a film festival, AIFF is a celebration of the arts! With the founding of AIFF in 2010, the Poster Contest Competition was the first project to spin-off connecting film with the arts. Promoting the next generation of designers was in keeping with the vision and mission of the festival and continues to be a celebratory event.

Old Schwamb Mill Museum

For those interested in industrial history, woodworking, mechanics -- or simply the ambiance of an ancient, working manufactory in its original historic setting -- The Old Schwamb Mill located in Arlington will host the AIFF Poster Contest Reception… a remarkable piece of history in our backyard!

The Mill, one of Arlington's hidden historic gems, is an 1864 picture frame factory and living history museum. It is the country's only manufacturer of hand-turned museum quality oval frames.

Storytelling

Professional story spinner, published writer, performance instructor, and TedX Coach, Brendyn Schneider has been a featured storyteller at Emerson College, Coolidge Corner Theater, Improv Boston and other fine venues across New England. Making frequent appearances with MassMouth and the Moth, Brendyn takes his audiences on story-trips of wit through the follies of growing-up and the everyday slog. His Intro to Storytelling class starts Wednesday night, May 3, at Arlington Community Education. For sign up and details, please venture to brendynschneider.com

Music

Carl Romeo, originally from Chile moved to San Francisco, CA in 1978. In 1979 he joined the Guitar Institute of Technology (GIT) in Hollywood, CA, now the Musicians Institute. GIT, founded in 1977 evolutionized contemporary music education with the first full-time program to offer hands-on professional training for the electric guitarist. Romeo was hired in 1982 by a Latin promoter that managed famous Latin singers among them Armando Manzanero and Paloma San Basilio. Working as a back-up guitar player for the orchestra he also worked in New York City as a lead electric guitar player and rhythm guitar player for big bands and groups as well as a session studio musician.

In 1988 Romeo moved to Boston continuing to work with bands and recording for different groups. In 2003 he began working as a solo singer/guitar player; hired in 2006 by Cultural Constructions Curators Michael McLaughlin and Dennis Warren to experiment with jazz, blue grass, classical and Latin music. Romeo continues to work as a free-lance musician.

Poetry Reading

Shirley Gerald Ware is the author of eight books and the publisher of a worldwide magazine that publish teens and adults locally and worldwide. She is widely known for her engaging poems and short stories. Many of her poems were nominated for awards. She was recently named Author of the Month by “Eye on Magazine.”

Her novel “On the Run” is offered by booksellers around the world, and is available in languages, China, Germany, India, Taiwan, Malaysia and others. The author studied English Writing at Northeastern University and Psychology at University of Massachusetts. She gives credit to her mom for the ability to craft entertaining and engaging stories. Her dad is credited for her ability to never give in to criticism.

A Festival Pass entitles you to all film screenings and after-parties as well as the Special Opening Night Screening and Reception.

*Please note that passes will not be mailed but available for pick-up at the

Capitol Theatre Lobby AIFF table on October 26th at 5pm and through-out the Festival.

The Arlington International Film Festival is much more than just a film festival; it is a celebration of cultures as well as being a platform for recognizing the common global human experience. Please come and share these experiences with us.

AIFF and PURPLE ARROW FILMS

Seek to Pave New Avenues in the Film Industry

The Arlington International Film Festival (AIFF) today marks the formal launch of the international partnership between AIFF and PURPLEARROW FILMS. We are proud to announce this partnership and celebrate the joint effort of ‘connecting filmmakers to the world’. www.purplearrowfilms.com

Established in 2016, Purple Arrow is a company that holds down the forte for film festival consultancy as well as distribution of films across the world. A name that symbolizes progress and prosperity with a touch of royalty, Purple Arrow is built on the philosophy of progression and creativity through human intervention.

Founded on the principles of technological advancements, human effort and dedication, Purple Arrow is a brand which enforces the traditional forms of film making along with the importance of a film festival in the overall cycle of a film.

From traditional film making reels to digitization of the shoot, from single screen showcase to film festival showcase, Purple Arrow has been striving to achieve a great feat in imbibing the art of film making from all around the world and impart this valuable knowledge to film makers.

Purple Arrow Films is a film festival consultancy agency with a knowledge base of the best film festivals that take place across the globe with every intricate detail taken care with utmost dedication. Their team is driven to provide meaningful and beneficial consultancy solutions to help films flourish on screen, holding fast to their mission to empower filmmakers.

AIFF is an award-winning Festival with its mission being to foster appreciation for different cultures by exploring the lives of people around the globe through independent film. With its annual festival in October, AIFF takes movie-goers on cinematic journeys, transporting them to lands far away and back home again. Featuring an annual poster contest competition, kick-off and various events through-out the year, AIFF includes numerous expressions of the arts from fine art exhibits, international dance and musicians.

AIFF not only celebrates the arts but believes that the arts are here to connect us, to communicate across boundaries and touch our common humanity. As part of its mission of nurturing the next generation, AIFF screens a special category of shorts by High School Filmmakers.

AIFF Welcomes ‘global culinary experiences’ to Arlington

BISTRO DUET Restauran

The Arlington International Film Festival (AIFF) proudly announces its 2017 partnership with BISTRO DUET Restaurant where the French culinary experience comes alive in Arlington, home of many of the best restaurants in greater Boston.

The Arlington International Film Festival is readying the red carpet for Opening Night on October 26th at the Capitol Theatre. Festival Pass and VIP ticket-holders will receive priority seating at the Capitol Theatre and are invited to attend the After-Party hosted at Bistro Duet restaurant. Mark your calendar for the event that promises to be enjoyable from start to finish… quality film, stimulating conversation followed by delicious hors d’oeuvres inspired by the many regions in France… and more conversation at Bistro Duet.

A native of Dracut, Massachusetts, Wayne Duprey is Bistro Duet’s General Manager. Duprey has managed restaurant and bar operations in the U.S., Europe and Asia. Most recently, he was the Assistant Director of Food & Beverage at the Four Seasons Resort, Hualalai in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. Previously, he was Director of Bars at the InterContinental Boston.

Executive Chef, Cyrille Couet, is a native of the Loire Valley who started cooking in his uncle’s restaurant at the age of 13. Since then, he has worked behind stoves in Europe, the West Indies and the U.S. Chef Cyrille was inaugural chef of Miel Brasserie at the InterContinental Boston and, most recently, was Executive Chef of the Questrom School of Business at Boston University. Couet will oversee all aspects of Bistro Duet’s culinary operation, including catering.

AIFF welcome Bistro Duet to Arlington and as a sponsor of the Arlington International Film Festival!

AIFF Announces its Partnership with ORIGINAL LIVING MAGAZINE

The Arlington International Film Festival (AIFF) today marks the formal launch of the local and national partnership between AIFF and Original Living Magazine. We are proud to celebrate this as our first media partnership with a Hispanic magazine.

Original Living Magazine, in print and online, is a lifestyle publication, showcasing a world of talent domestically and internationally. Printed quarterly, Original Living is distributed in Boston, New York and Miami, providing the ultimate insider experience, an original provocative approach to fashion, beauty, society, art, culture travel and entertainment. Original Living is a high-quality and ready for consumption magazine that welcomes readers of all races and cultures to enjoy what the magazine offers.

AIFF’s special partnership with Original Living will provide wide distribution to the Latin American people in the Greater Boston Area, New York and Miami, reporting on news and events related to the Festival, including the films selected for screening in October at the Arlington’s Capitol Theatre, as well as related pre-festival events.

AIFF takes great pride in its collaborations and its commitment to building vibrant partnerships with organizations, businesses, education, arts, and cultural institutions in New England, building community to bring an artistic experience that is unforgettable. The Festival is honored to serve the town of Arlington, living up to its name as a true cultural destination. The combination of nationally recognized and home-grown independent filmmakers presented during the Festival is establishing Arlington as not only a dining destination, but as a place for a uniquely fun, informative and stimulating movie-going experience.

AIFF is a creative and cutting edge boutique film festival offering a unique opportunity for cross-cultural education by promoting understanding of the many cultures represented in our town and beyond, recognizing that such diversity enriches our community. We believe that our annual international film festival highlights core values and aspirations we share in-common with our culturally diverse neighbors and with all members of the global human family.

AIFF Celebrates a New Media Partnership with

IMAGINE MAGAZINE

The Arlington International Film Festival (AIFF) is exceptionally pleased to partner with IMAGINE Magazine. In its 19th year of publication, IMAGINE is a magazine emphatic about taking art to the public and providing readers with an understanding of the process, while also reviewing local and international artists exhibiting/screening throughout the Northeast. www.imaginenews.com

IMAGINE Magazine, in print and online, covers the business of Film, Television and New Media Production in New England. Introducing Film Tax Credits to New England in 2002, it has heralded the passage of tax credit initiatives passed in Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Connecticut, bringing major motion picture, television and commercial projects to our region. IMAGINE is more than a magazine; it is a movement that has developed an economic engine creating a new industry for our states and towns, and spawned job creation and industry business incubation that could not have been perceived before the magazine’s inception in 1998.

Each month IMAGINE distributes its copies in New England, New York, LA, and at major Industry Events. The electronic edition is available online immediately and is archived. IMAGINE attends Sundance/Slamdance Film Festivals, NATPE, AFM, NAB, AFCI’s Locations Trade Show, Tribeca Film Festival, Cannes Film Festival & Market, The Nantucket Film Festival, New York Film Festival, and almost every film festival in and around New England.

Alberto Guzman, Organizer of AIFF, and Carol Patton, Publisher of Imagine Magazine, have been working together for more than 5 years to bring an intimate and personal experience to readers that feature conversations with independent filmmakers, local and international, as well as reaching out to producers, actors, writers, students, professors and business leaders in the film industry who are creating a market place for ideas in visual communication.

AIFF is an award-winning Festival with its mission being to foster appreciation for different cultures by exploring the lives of people around the globe through independent film. With its annual festival in October, AIFF takes movie-goers on cinematic journeys, transporting them to lands far away and back home again. Featuring a poster contest competition, kick-off and closing events with fine art exhibits, international dance companies and musicians, AIFF celebrates the arts and believes that the arts are here to connect us, to communicate across boundaries and touch our common humanity. As part of its mission of nurturing the next generation, AIFF screens a category of shorts by High School Filmmakers.

IMAGINE Magazine shares a common vision with AIFF, supporting the work of independent filmmakers, bringing industry to our region, thereby enriching our community. IMAGINE is about new processes for the new business world. AIFF is about fostering appreciation for diversity through films that are brought to Boston and adding value to their viewing through Q&As and/or panel discussions, providing an opportunity for a multi-dimensional experience.

AIFF offers a unique opportunity for cross-cultural education by promoting understanding of the many cultures represented in our town and beyond, recognizing that such diversity enriches our community. We believe that our annual international film festival highlights core values and aspirations we share in common with our culturally diverse neighbors and with all members of the global human family.

AIFF and Filmmakers Collaborative Partner

A New Collective Effort to Strengthen Indie Filmmakers

Today marks a formal partnership between Arlington International Film Festival (AIFF) and Filmmakers Collaborative (FC). AIFF and FC are two locally based organizations committed to the indie filmmakers and together they will strengthen their efforts in their support of filmmaking, a creative genre that informs, entertains and communicates our very essence of being.

This new partnership is a collaboration intended to strengthen the community of Arlington and Greater Boston empowering the businesses and filmmaking community in the field of filmmaking. The agenda is to share information, activities, cross-sector engagements, and continuous communications. The partnership aims to strengthen community-based organizations working in access community media TV, collaborate with the arts, sciences, and humanities, providing support to adults as well as youth practicing the art of filmmaking, increasing opportunities at all levels in Boston and the United States at-large.

In 2014, the organizers of AIFF met members and representatives of FC for the first time at Mass College of Art for the MAKING MEDIA NOW event. This meeting opened the door for both organizations to work together at the local and national level.

This partnership is currently leading and advising projects that will begin this spring:

AIFF CONVERSATIONS WITH INDIE FILMMAKERS – AIFF introduces Conversations with Indie Filmmakers, a collaboration with Arlington Community Media, Inc. (ACMI). Conversations is a bi-monthly series of interviews with Indie Filmmakers. The purpose of this series is to offer insight into the creative world of filmmaking and share the personal journey of a filmmaker in making and producing a film. These conversations are intended to empower the indie filmmaking community, creating a platform for sharing experience and knowledge… the insider’s world of the do’s and don’ts of producing a film; i.e., script writing, casting, directing, lighting, etc.

PROMO EVENTS - AIFF and FC will collaborate on events and programs that will benefit the film industry and filmmakers, especially those in need of support and an umbrella for their projects

EMPOWER & EMBRACE THE COMMUNITY – Through their individual web sites, AIFF and FC will send their subscribers newsletters and information that will foster information sharing, knowledge development, collaboration, and input across the field.

AIFF Welcomes New Colleagues to the Team

Arlington International Film Festival (AIFF) is pleased to announce the addition of several new colleagues joining the team for the 2017 Festival.

John Dellanno is a senior at Arlington Catholic High School and has taken on the role of Social Media Manager/Guru. His bright future is ready to be written.

Carolina Marion joins this year’s team as the Submissions Coordinator. Having graduated from Northeastern University in 2013, earning a degree in Communications/Cinema Studies, she recently accepted a position with Spotify in New York City. Carolina has a background in IT and Project Management which makes her a perfect fit for the administration of this year’s film submissions.

Jordan Michael joins this year’s Selection Committee. Having been in the industry for over ten years, Jordan has worked in roles such as consumer products, motion picture literary, production and development with industry brands; i.e. the Weinstein Company, Focus Features, New Line Cinema, Gersh Agency, Warner Bros., Nickelodeon, and TalentWorks. He completed his undergraduate education at the School of Visual Arts in New York City and earned a Master’s Degree in Producing for Film from the American Film Institute in Los Angeles. He joins veteran judges: Lawrence Benedict, Rick Beyer, Alice Bouvrie, Barbara Costa, Paul Dervis, Elizabeth DiNolfo, Charles Schuerhoff, Sophie Seifried, Eric Stage, Marga Varea, and Brynmore Williams in the selection and awards of films that will be screened in the upcoming Festival, October 26 - 29.

We welcome Rachael Sullivan and her creativity as the Festival’s Graphic Designer. Rachael hails from New England and received her Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts and Graphic Design from University of Connecticut. Over the last fifteen years, she has enjoyed working in an industry that continuously marries creativity and constructs whilst living in the amazing cities of Boston and Chicago. A Visual Designer with a passion for clean, fresh and interesting design, Rachael continuously showcases strong creativity, meticulous design prowess and technical savvy resulting in a varied and substantial portfolio. She possesses a talent for creative problem solving, a strong desire to maintain client identity and brand integrity. Her clients include Rounder Records, Bela Fleck, and Berklee School of Music.

As part of its mission of nurturing the next generation, AIFF screens a category of shorts by High School Filmmakers. Gonzalo Veloz will join Michael Mahan and Kevin Wetmore on the Selection Committee that reviews all student submissions, and decides on official selections and awards that will be screened in the Student Program. Originally from Caracas, Venezuela, Gonzalo studied communications and film in Venezuela, Colombia and the U.S. Gonzalo has worked on various projects for film and TV, documentaries and music videos to name a few. Recently working close with startups of industries from around the world, Gonzalo has participated in roles direction, production, editing, and photography. His resume includes working for CNN, Forbes, and NBC's "The Today Show". Besides his freelance work, he manages video production for U.S. based initiatives for Mass Challenge.

The AIFF Organizers are extremely proud to be working with such a professional team that is dedicated to our mission of offering a unique opportunity for cross-cultural education by promoting understanding of the many cultures represented in our town and beyond, recognizing that such diversity enriches our community. We all believe that our annual international film festival highlights core values and aspirations we share with our culturally diverse neighbors and with all members of the global human family.

The First of "CONVERSATIONS with AIFF"

Our thanks to Rick Beyer, documentary filmmaker and to John Rule, principle of Rule Camera Boston for the first of a series of Conversations with AIFF.

Arlington Community Media, Inc, (ACMi) is the producer of this series.

Conversation with Indie Filmmakers

The Arlington International Film Festival (AIFF) for the first time ever AIFF introduces Conversations with Indie Filmmakers, a collaboration with Arlington Community Media, Inc. (ACMI). Conversations is a bi-monthly series of interviews with Indie Filmmakers. The purpose of this series is to offer insight into the creative world of film making and share the personal journey of a filmmaker in making and producing a film.

These conversations are intended to empower the indie film making community, create platform for sharing experience and knowledge… the insider’s world of the do’s and don’ts of producing a film about scripting, writing, casting, directing, lighting, etc.

AIFF is pleased to announce the first of these Conversations will be with filmmaker, Rick Beyer hosted by John Rule, of Rule Boston Camera.

Rick Beyer is a New York Times best-selling author, an award-winning documentary producer, and a long-time history enthusiast. His new book Rivals Unto Death: Hamilton and Burr will be published in February 2017 by Hachette books. His independent documentary The Ghost Army, premiered on PBS in 2013, and won a CINE Golden Eagle Award. It tells the story of an extraordinary WWII unit that used creativity and illusion to fool the Germans. He also has co-authored a bestselling book on the unit. Rick has produced numerous other documentaries and is the author of the popular Greatest Stories Never Told series. of history books. He has curated museum exhibits relating to World War II and the American Revolution. He has also made numerous media appearances, and frequently speaks to audiences on subjects that include innovation, filmmaking, and the quirky tales that make history come alive. He is an adjunct faculty member in the communications department of Lasell College.

John Rule is CEO of Rule Boston Camera. Founded in 1990, Rule Boston Camera provides production companies, broadcast and cable networks, and independent producers with the film, video, and audio equipment and know-how they need for their most critical projects. Their stellar reputation reflects the expertise of its staff; comprehensive service, which extends from equipment-related production planning through installation and tech support; and the quality and capabilities of the professional-grade equipment we rent and sell.

Film making is more than just getting a camera rolling and capturing a subject. It embraces many aspects of the arts and can include music, dance, theater, staging/carpentry, storytelling/poetry, the fine arts, photography, drawing/animation and puppetry. Our goal with Conversations is to engage the arts across all spectrum's. We hope you tune-in to this program, whether you are a seasoned filmmaker, an aspiring filmmaker or an appreciative audience of creative film!

2017 AIFF Call for Entries Open

John Dellanno

The Arlington International Film Festival (AIFF) is pleased to announce the opening of this year’s Call for Entries. Submission information can be found on the website, Aiffest.org and entries posted on FilmFreeway.com. AIFF continues to unearth some of the best independent storytellers in all genres and presents a diverse array of local, national, and international narrative and documentary features, shorts, and student films. Award sponsors include RCN, Glidecam Industries, Inc., High Output, Cyber Link, Engine Room Edit, Rule Camera, Talamas Boston, WGBH, Irving House, AARP, Tartufo restaurant, Rose Kennedy Greenway, Arlington Community Media, Inc,(ACMi), KUMON. By State Banner, Imagine Magazine, Movie-blogger.com...

Each year, the festival hosts more than 2,000 cinema fans and presents 50 plus screenings. Filmmakers, producers, students, and media outlets from across the United States regularly converge at this festival and exit Arlington infused with big ideas and extraordinary new connections. Director, April Ranck says of the Festival, "the enthusiasm that culminates in Arlington around the film screenings, visiting directors, and conversations is exciting; people come together infused with energy and ideas because of the stories shared by amazing indie filmmakers. It is wonderful to see the interaction among community organizations, businesses/corporations, educational institutions, and audience members. The Arlington International Film Festival is an annual event not to be missed!”

Recognized for drawing an impressive lineup of premieres as well as identifying talented filmmakers early in their careers, AIFF is proud to have screened films that have been recognized world-wide, chosen to tour internationally with the State Department, official selections of the Cannes Film Festival, Locarno International Film Festival in Italy, Berlin Film Festival, San Sebastian Film Festival, Toronto Film Festival, purchased by HBO and PBS and nominated for Academy Awards.

As AIFF opens its Call for Entries, we look forward to another year of exceptional films that foster appreciation for different cultures by exploring the lives of people around the globe through independent film and nurturing the next generation of filmmakers.

Arlington International Film Festival (AIFF) kicks off its seventh annual Poster Competition with an exclusive invitation to collaborate with an illustration class at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design to create the poster that will become the face of the 2017 International Film Festival.

After five years of high school student competitions, AIFF took a different path last year, inviting Mt. Ida College students in Steven Jurgensmeyer’s graphic design class to participate exclusively in the competition; it was a huge success. In keeping with the vision and mission of promoting the next generation of designers, it was decided this year to offer the opportunity to Massachusetts College of Art and Design and work exclusively with Robert Maloney’s Experimental Illustration class.

Founded in 1873, MassArt is the nation’s first independent public institution of higher education dedicated to the training of artists. It is one of the oldest art schools, the only publicly funded free-standing art school in the United States, and was the first art college in the United States to grant an artistic degree.

Robert Maloney, Assistant Professor of the Illustration Department at Massachusetts College of Art has partnered with the AIFF to bring junior and senior level students from the Illustration Department into the Poster Competition. When Professor Maloney was approached about his students entering a poster competition for the AIFF, the answer was a very quick, “I’m always looking for projects to engage and challenge my students. Not only would this be an excellent opportunity for students to get a glimpse into the industry, but it would offer a chance to create a beautiful portfolio piece that could help them launch their careers.”

Robert Maloney, a Massachusetts native, has a Masters of Fine Arts from Massachusetts College of Art. His recent work focuses on the connections between the temporary materials of our man-made, urban structures and how these fragile forms relate to the erosion of memory. His work has been featured in Creative Quarterly Magazine, Cloth Paper Scissors Magazine, The Pulse of Mixed Media (North Light Books), Art Revolution (North Light Books) and Artscope Magazine and his work is held in the collection of Wellington Management, Liberty Mutual and private collections. His exhibitions, commissions and publications include the following:

The illustration program at Mass Art emphasizes the importance of drawing from observation, exploring a wide range of media and acquiring the skills in developing a variety of visual narrative concepts. Professor Maloney's Experimental Illustration Techniques course explores a variety of mixed media techniques that push the boundaries of the 2D/3D plane. Using contemporary mixed media artists as a jumping off point, the class investigates the possibilities of alternative image making over the course of the semester.

Poster entries will be evaluated by a panel of judges with expertise in composition, design, public relations and marketing and evaluated based on visual appeal, content and marketability. The selected poster design will appear locally, nationally and internationally in various forms; i.e. print, TV, and web promotions. The winning artist will be announced in April 2017 at a Press Conference/Reception, open to the public, and awarded a cash prize of $500.

The Arlington International Film Festival

October 26 - 29, 2017

Capitol Theatre | 204 Mass Ave | East Arlington, MA

Mission Statement: To foster appreciation for different cultures by exploring the lives of people around the globe through independent film — to nurture the next generation of filmmakers

The Arlington International Film Festival (AIFF) is proud to host The BosTones, an a cappella groupfrom Boston University who will be singing in Capitol Square on Saturday, October 29, 1:45 PM in front of the Capitol Theatre.

Founded in 1996, The BosTones bring a new dimension of soul, sweetness, and sass to the a cappella scene. They make sure to sweat the small details to deliver stellar and unique renditions of our favorite music, from Stevie Wonder to Queen Beyonce.

They have had quite an exciting year, earning the title of "Best a Cappella Group in the Northeast", and being finalists and semi final champions at the 2016 International Championship of Collegiate a Cappella. And they are just getting started

If you are shopping, dining, gallery hopping or coming to the 6th annual Arlington International Film Festival in Capitol Square on Saturday make sure you stop-by the Theatre to hear this amazing group of singers!

UPCOMING SCREENING

BOSTON PREMIERE THIS WEEK of a shocking new documentary, “Death By Design,” about the damaged lives and environmental destruction that are caused by smart phones, tablets, and all the digital devices we love so much. First showing at the Environmental Film Festival (Thursday, Sept 29 at 6:00 pm, Kendall Square Cinema), and repeat showing at the GlobeDocs Film Festival (Friday, Sept 30 at 5:30 pm, Brattle Theatre). Tickets are available at http://dceff.org/film/death-by-design/ and http://filmfest.bostonglobe.com/film/ death-by-design/. Filmmaker Sue Williams will attend both screenings.

Co-presenting with the Boston Latino International Film Festival

La Buena Vida (The Good Life)

Documentary, 98 mins, Frauke Knappke, Germany/Colombia, 2015

The village of Tamaquito lies in the forests of Colombia. Here, nature provides the people with everything they need. But the Wayúu community’s way of life is being destroyed by the vast and rapidly growing El Cerrejón coal mine. Determined to save his community from forced resettlement, young and charismatic leader Jairo Fuentes sets out to negotiate with the mine’s operators. They’re backed by powerful global resources companies such as Glencore, Anglo American and BHP Billiton and communicating with their representatives isn’t easy. The villagers are promised the blessings of progress, but the Wayúu place no value on modern, electrified houses – on the so-called “better life.” Instead, they embark on a fight to save their life in the forest, which soon becomes a fight to survive. “La Buena Vida” is the story of the Wayúu community, set against a global backdrop of rising energy consumption being driven by the pursuit of growth and affluence. www.bliff.org

Three displaced souls—a reclusive Palestinian, a talkative Palestinian divorcee heading to Syria, and a Lebanese TV director—meet by chance and embark on a road trip across Jordan in a VW minivan while discussing their troubled pasts, fears, nostalgic reminiscences, and hopes for the future.

The most recent entry in a long catalogue of films from the Middle East on the experience of displacement, Rifqi Assaf’s impressive debut feature is part road trip movie, part lyrical meditation on the perpetual journey that is exile.

Thursday, October 20, 7:30 pm - Museum of Fine Arts

Maya Goldwasser is a mom, a successful choreographer, and the wife of an Israeli official of the Ministry of Justice. But Maya was born as Nadia, to a Palestinian family. After getting involved with Nimer, a PLO activist, in her youth, Nadia had to abandon her roots and secretly take up a new identity as an Israeli Jew. When Nimer reappears, Nadia is forced to confront her past. In Hebrew, English, and Arabic with subtitles.

Winner of The Israel Critics’ Forum Award for Best Feature Film at the 2015 Jerusalem Film Festival.

Thursday, Nov 17, 2016, 7 pm - Arlington Capitol Theatre

2016 AIFF Kick-Off Program @ The Rose Kennedy Greenway

Arlington, 2016 ---The Arlington International Film Festival (AIFF), now in its 6th year, is committed to building vibrant partnerships with organizations, businesses, educational, arts and cultural institutions in New England, fostering appreciation for different cultures while engaging communities through the art of film. This year’s Festival KICK-OFF, a collaboration with The Rose Kennedy Greenway, is the screening of a special program of international shorts. We hope you join us for the evening Wednesday, September 28, 7:00 pm in Dewey Square, Boston!

Sensorium, a hand-drawn experimental animation exploring the relationship between music and image.

Perpetual Motion celebrates the cyclical nature of time, and the symbols and rites which have been created to mark and honor its passage.

Wedding Cake (9 min)

Viola Baier, Director | 2013 | Animation | Germany

Two marzipan figures come to life on top of a wedding cake and begin to sculpt the perfect marriage out of cake icing. As time passes this perfect marriage is hijacked.

The Baby (15 min)

Ali Asgari, Director | 2014 | Narrative | Iran/Italy

Official Selection of the Venice Film Festival

Stress mounts as Narges and her friend have just a few hours to find someone to take care of her baby for a few days as her parents are paying an unexpected visit.

Mee (4 min)

Letty Felgendreher, Director | 2014 | Animation | Germany

A special story of an international adoption.

Fallt (3 min)

C. Whitehead, Director | 2014 | Animation | USA

A farmer struggles to keep his land when Mr. Fallt’s fault finding goes too far. Gravity must be found and a judge must question his judgement. A humorous commentary on the law.

Yo Presidenta (18 min)

Arantxa Echevarria, Director | 2015 | Narrative | Spain

A comedic parody on the social issues of our time. Chaos reigns as elections take place in Europe…they need to elect a leader quickly. Through a psychological study, it is determined that the most gifted to lead the nation is a person who has the most friends on Facebook.

The Missing Scarf (7 min )

Eoin Duf, Director | 2013 | Animation | Ireland

A black comedy exploring some of life’s common fears…of the unknown, failure, rejection and finally the fear of death. Narrated by George Takei and short listed for the 2014 Oscar Short Animation award.

O Atelier (14 min)

Edgar Duvivier, Director | 2014 | Narrative | Brazil

A witty narrative about art…the value, legitimacy, creativity, ethics and appropriation of art. The creative experience meets the temptation of fraud.

Arlington High School Student, Gayatri Sundar Rajan

Master of Ceremonies for AIFF Student Filmmaker’s Program/Awards

The Arlington International Film Festival is extremely proud to announce Gayatri Sundar Rajan as Master of Ceremonies for the 6th annual AIFF Student Filmmaker’s Program.

In addition to highlighting the best of student filmmakers, AIFF is delighted to provide a platform for students with speaking skills like Ms Sundar Rajan. “We are honored that Gayatri has accepted our invitation to host this year’s Student Program and we look forward to the addition of her magic that she will bring to the stage”, said April Ranck, Executive Director of AIFF.

Ms Sundar Rajan is a multi-talented Arlington High School student. She describes herself as a digital storyteller. Since 6th grade Gayatri has volunteered at Arlington Community Media, Inc. (ACMi) producing shows, documentaries, and news segments in addition to taking part in youth productions. Gayatri is currently a Junior at Arlington High School, a member of the Cross Country Team, a leader of the Speech & Debate Team, a member of the Mock Trial Team, and plays the carnatic violin.

Over the years, her most favorite productions have been a documentary - originally for National History Day - about women in the workforce and an Arlington Public News series about how body image affects teenagers and what mechanisms they can use to cope with the issue. When asked what she enjoys most about her work, Gayatri says, “I enjoy hearing the stories of Arlingtonians and translating their emotions, actions, and work into videos that we can all learn from and enjoy.”

“The ability to express myself and expand my horizons through simply working with and for amazing people has truly shaped me into the person I am today. I am truly honored and ecstatic to be hosting the Youth Awards at the Arlington International Film Festival and hope to gain yet another unique perspective into the field of media arts”, said Gayatri Sundar Rajan.

ARLINGTON INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

OCTOBER 27-30

CAPITOL THEATRE | ARLINGTON

Arlington… a Cultural Destination

The ARLINGTON INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (AIFF), now in its 6th year, proudly announces the upcoming annual Festival October 27 - 30 at the Capitol Theatre in Arlington, MA… home of the Festival.

Executive Director, April Ranck said that AIFF is extremely excited to return to Arlington, especially to the Capitol Theatre for this year’s festival. “Our growth has been exponential, evidenced with the number and quality of film submissions received as well in audience attendance. Last year was a tremendous success at the Kendall Square Cinema. We are delighted to be welcomed home by the Capitol Theatre management and hope to bring along the audience we garnered in Cambridge.”

Collaboration is about process, about bringing the best of what people and organizations have to offer and working together to realize mutual goals. AIFF takes great pride in its collaborations and its commitment to building vibrant partnerships with organizations, businesses, educational, arts and cultural institutions in New England. It is an honor for AIFF to partner with The Rose Kennedy Greenway Conservancy for the official KICK-OFF of this year’s Festival featuring a special screening of international shorts. Please mark your calendars and plan to join us on The Rose Kennedy Greenway, Dewey Square, Friday evening, September 23, 7:30 PM.

For five years AIFF has screened films submitted by Wapikoni Mobile of Quebec, Canada. The Harvard University Native American Program, the Harvard University Canada Program at the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, the Harvard Art Museum, the Institute for New England Native American Studies at UMASS Boston, together with the Arlington International Film Festival are proposing to host a series of film screenings and panel presentations, course presentations, and networking events with Wapikoni Mobile’s director Manon Barbeau and Wapikoni Mobile’s filmmakers. Stay tuned for an update on this proposed event.

The mission of AIFF is to foster appreciation for different cultures by exploring the lives of people around the globe through independent film — to nurture the next generation of filmmakers. In keeping with the mission, AIFF has three distinct components, one being the annual poster contest where the winning poster becomes the face of the Festival and the graphic design artist receives a $500 cash prize. After five years of high school student competitions, it was decided to offer this design opportunity to college students. Graphic design students at Mount Ida College were invited exclusively to participate in this year’s Poster Design Contest. Tyler Wood was chosen as the winner of the 2016 AIFF Poster Contest; the press announcement and reception was held on April 21st at the Arlington Center for the Arts.

The second component of AIFF is the high school filmmaker’s competition that was registered this year with UNESCO. After viewing submissions from countries as far away as Russia, Italy and Canada and as close as New York, Arlington, Lynn, Boston and Dorchester, the judges recently released the Best of Festival winner to be Attached At The Soul by William Leon, a 15 year old from Los Angles who wrote and directed this winning short.

AIFF’s master component is that of the film festival that showcases some of the finest and most creative cinematic works in the world, those of independent filmmakers. We are proud to have showcased films that have been recognized world-wide, chosen to tour internationally with the State Department, participants of the Cannes Film Festival, Locarno International Film Festival in Italy, Berlin Film Festival, San Sebastian Film Festival, Toronto Film Festival, purchased by HBO and PBS and nominated for Academy Awards.

The jury is preparing to announce this year’s program. A taste of the films that will be screened this year are Armenia by M.A. Littler, a cinematic interweaving of film, literature and history – a motion picture that deliberately refuses to adhere to the rules of the traditional film genres tracing the Armenian diaspora; Fiddlesticks a comedy by German filmmaker, Veit Helmer that chronicles a group of kindergartener’s that set out to free their grandfather from an old folks home; Home Care, Slavek Horak’s award-winning film set in a southern Moravian village blends drama with gentle humor and chosen as the Czech Republic’s nomination for best foreign Oscar.

As the Festival continues to grow so does our Jury. We would like to introduce two of our distinguished graphic design judges that have joined us this year: Jeannet Leendertse who relocated to Boston from the Netherlands, owner of jldesign and mooizeg providing services to the publishing industry and those who look to publish independently and Ingrid de Aguiar Sanchez, a native of Brazil and Community Arts Instructor at the Museum of Fine Arts. Film festival judges that have joined us this year are: Paul Dervis, writer and director of theatre and acclaimed film critic, Lawrence Benedict, actor and film critic, Rick Beyer, professor of film and filmmaker and Sophie Siefried with Epic Pictures Group in LA.

Please join us this year for our KICK-OFF on the Greenway September 23rd and for the Festival at the Capitol Theatre October 27-30 as we explore cultures from around the world. THE ARLINGTON INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL… your cultural destination for the best in independent local, national and international films!

Arlington, MA — The Arlington International Film Festival (AIFF) is proud to announce the High School Student Award Winners of the 6th annual Festival that will be held at the Capitol Theatre, October 27-30. The awarded shorts were chosen by a jury that reviewed the 85 film submissions that competed in the categories of narrative, documentary, animation and experimental.

This year’s festival will feature great films produced by talented High School filmmakers from Massachusetts, New York, California, South Africa, Italy, Iran, Russia and Canada. AIFF is thrilled to share with you the winners of the 2016 Arlington International Film Festival Competition and Official Selections.

Best of Festival:”Attached At The Soul”

A film about the bond between two kind souls of different backgrounds. It begins when they first met, charts their meaningful journey, and ends with their departure from this world, together. The film promotes friendship, diversity, equal rights, compassion, love and acceptance. Director - William Leon

Best Documentary: “Todo tiene su tiempo”/”Everything Has Its Time”

A woman opens up about her struggles and how her hard work manifested into her life’s accomplishments. According to AIFF Judge, Michael Mahin, "Todo tiene su tiempo" has been chosen as Best Doc for its simplicity, its technical efficiency, and its pertinent message. “In an age of growing anti-immigrant sentiment, the film acts as an important reminder that these are people, families, human beings who we are discussing. Without pretension or artifice, "Todo tiene su tiempo" explores what it means to make a new home in a new place with those closest to us.” Director - Marylys Merida

Best Narrative: “Teach Me Fish”

A lonely boy obsessed with geology gets more than he asks for when he goes out on one of his daily rock hunts. Kevin Wetmore, AIFF Judge, speaks about the film; “It tells a cohesive visual story and is also very funny and likable. All of the performances work well, especially that of the alien visitor. The sound production, sound editing, and music choices all work wonderfully. The cinematography is also a highlight. All the shots seem carefully composed and there is a consistent style throughout the film. Overall this film is an accomplishment to be proud of, and the filmmakers should not hesitate to create new work.” Director - Asa Minter

Best Experimental: “I Don’t Need U”

A girl who grew up without her father writes a letter about her deepest and most sincere feelings about him. "With simple but elegant camerawork and effective voice-over narration, 'I Don't Need U' subtly but powerfully underscores the primordial bond between parent and child - and the pain that can be caused by the absence of this bond," said Michael Mahin. Director - Alyssa Peguero

When Will can't seem to get a girlfriend, his fairy godmother decides to help. Sure enough, wacky hijinks follow. But, when push comes to shove, can Will manage to win the heart of Anna while keeping his friendship with his fairy godmother intact?

A man with a special gift finds a piece of himself in one the strangest places.

The Tree of Me (2 min)

Elee Stalker, Director | Experimental | 2015 | Canada

Self-portrait expressed metaphorically.

AIFF is pleased to feature a film from this year’s Harvard College Film Festival that will be screened at the Student Filmmaker’s Program, The Flag by American director Tyler Parker.

Synopsis:

In the summer of 2015, a gunman killed nine black parishioners in a Bible study at Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, SC, blowing open the doors to conversations of race, rage, and reconciliation across the state. The Flag, made during the director's junior year of undergraduate studies, documents those conversations under the shadow of the Confederate Flag flying high in front of the South Carolina State Capitol Building in Columbia, SC.

The Arlington International Film Festival would like to thank the Judges for jurying this year’s High School Filmmakers Competition. They are Michael Mahin (Writer, Film Critic, and Marketing Coordinator for special events at the Arlington Center for the Arts), Kevin Wetmore (Filmmaker & Youth Coordinator at ACMi), Jonathan Barbato (Production Manager at ACMi), and Naythen Lowe (Editor and creator of the DIYDS).

On behalf of the Organizers and Judges of AIFF, we congratulate all those who submitted their films this year. The Judges were incredibly impressed with the breadth and diversity of material submitted. Each film combined technical excellence with a strong sense of place and character and each filmmaker should be proud of the film they submitted. We encourage you to keep on making films!

The Arlington International Film Festival’s mission is to foster appreciation for different cultures by exploring the lives of people around the globe through independent film - and to nurture the next generation of filmmakers. We screen narrative and documentary features and shorts, plus a special category of short films by High School Student Filmmakers. Panel discussions and/or Q&A’s follow many special screenings, offering provocative conversations with filmmakers/producers, academics, and the business community. www.AIFFest.org

The Arlington International Film Festival (AIFF), now in its 6th year, is committed to building vibrant partnerships with organizations, businesses, arts and social organizations in New England, fostering appreciation for different cultures while engaging communities through the art of film. This year’s Festival kick-off, a collaboration with The Rose Kennedy Greenway, is the screening of a special program of international shorts. We hope you join us for the evening Wednesday, September 28, 7:00 pm in Dewey Square, Boston!

AIFF and the Latino International Film Festival Partner for the 2016

La Buena Vida (The Good Life)

Documentary, 98 mins, Frauke Knappke, Germany/Colombia, 2015

The village of Tamaquito lies in the forests of Colombia. Here, nature provides the people with everything they need. But the Wayúu community’s way of life is being destroyed by the vast and rapidly growing El Cerrejón coal mine. Determined to save his community from forced resettlement, young and charismatic leader Jairo Fuentes sets out to negotiate with the mine’s operators. They’re backed by powerful global resources companies such as Glencore, Anglo American and BHP Billiton and communicating with their representatives isn’t easy. The villagers are promised the blessings of progress, but the Wayúu place no value on modern, electrified houses – on the so-called “better life.” Instead, they embark on a fight to save their life in the forest, which soon becomes a fight to survive. “La Buena Vida” is the story of the Wayúu community, set against a global backdrop of rising energy consumption being driven by the pursuit of growth and affluence.

Glidecam Industries Inc. offers a wide variety of camera stabilizers (camera stabilization systems) for use with motion picture cameras, video cameras, and video camcorders. These hand-held and body-mounted camera stabilizers create super smooth shots, and allow the operator to walk, run, go up and down stairs, shoot from moving vehicles, and travel over uneven terrain without any camera instability or shake.

The winner of "Best of Festival" in the 2016 AIFF High School Competition will receive an HD 2000 from our sponsor, Glidecam Industries, Inc.

Arlington International Film Festival to Honor Longtime Sponsor RCN

Arlington, Mass. -( August 1, 2016) The Arlington International Film Festival (AIFF) announced today that it is honoring longtime sponsor, RCN, for their support of the film festival for the past six years. RCN will be recognized for its commitment to the AIFF at the film festival’s opening night on October 27, 2016.

“RCN has been more than a sponsor; they have welcomed the AIFF into the business community. Many of our patrons came through the RCN channels that ran the promotion of the festival that has grown every year.” said April Ranck the executive director of the AIFF.

RCN Boston’s headquarters is located on 956 Massachusetts Avenue, Arlington. RCN Boston is an industry-leading provider of high speed internet, digital TV and phone service with

Internet speeds, secure fiber optic network and reliability second to none. For film buffs, RCN’s movie channels encompass a wide array of newly released films as well as classics, available on TV’s, tablets and mobile devices.

The Arlington International Film Festival (AIFF) is thrilled to announce that AARP Massachusetts has signed on to sponsor the 2016 film festival.

AARP is a nonprofit, non-partisan membership organization for people 50 and over. They have more than 800,000 members in Massachusetts and nearly 38 million nationwide. Their 2016 state legislative priorities focus on recognizing and supporting the critical role of the family caregiver, protecting and improving in-home and community-based long term services and supports, strengthening the financial security of 50+ residents, improving health care access and quality. In Massachusetts, AARP offers a variety of community-based programs such as Tax-Aide, Driver Safety, Fraud Watch Network, Home Fit, and Life Reimagined.

AIFF continues its commitment of bringing films to Arlington produced both locally and internationally that foster appreciation for different cultures. In doing this, we are also committed to building bridges, relationships with the Arlington Community and national organizations that serve its citizens.

The Arlington International Film Festival’s mission is to foster appreciation for different cultures by exploring the lives of people around the globe through independent film — to nurture the next generation of filmmakers within our community. We screen narrative and documentary features and shorts plus a special category of short films by High School Student Filmmakers. Panel discussions and/or Q&A’s follow many special screenings, framing provocative conversations with filmmakers/producers, academics, as well as the business community.

The Power of Collaboration & Contribution: AIFF Celebrates its Partnership with Rose Kennedy GREENWAY

The Arlington International Film Festival (AIFF) is honored to announce its partnership with the Rose Kennedy Greenway with the screening of a special program of international film shorts presented on September 16th in Dewey Square. The Greenway is a lovely, inclusive space for a collaboration with AIFF, its mission being to foster appreciation for different cultures by exploring the lives of people around the globe through independent film.

Collaboration is about process, about bringing the best of what people and organizations have to offer and working together to realize mutual goals. Since AIFF’s inception, the organizers have connected and collaborated with organizations, businesses, fellow film festivals and lovers of film in Arlington and Greater Boston. We are proud of our partnerships and especially that of the Rose Kennedy Greenway.

The Conservancy is the designated steward of the Rose Kennedy Greenway, a mile-and-a-half of contemporary parks in the heart of Boston that connect people and the city with beauty and fun. The non-profit Conservancy maintains, programs, and improves The Greenway on behalf of the public and in partnership with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Greenway History

In 1991, after almost a decade of planning, construction began on the Central Artery/Tunnel Project, more widely known as the "Big Dig". The project, recognized as one of the largest, most complex, and technologically challenging in the history of the United States, would remove the elevated highway and create a tunnel system below the city.

With the elevated highway to be relocated underground, community and political leaders seized the opportunity to enhance the city by creating the Greenway, a linear series of parks and gardens that would re-connect some of Boston’s oldest, most diverse, and vibrant neighborhoods. The creation of The Greenway was a joint effort of the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority (MTA), the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the City of Boston, and various civic groups.

On October 4, 2008, tens of thousands of visitors came together for the parks’ Inaugural Celebration with the Rose Kennedy Greenway Conservancy. The following year, on February 23, 2009 The Rose Kennedy Greenway Conservancy assumed operational responsibility for the parks. Today, the Greenway encompasses gardens, plazas, and tree-lined promenades and is a key feature of the modern reinvention of Boston, the Harbor and the Waterfront.

The Arlington International Film Festival (AIFF)

AIFF’s mission is to foster appreciation for different cultures by exploring the lives of people around the globe through independent film — to nurture the next generation of filmmakers. We screen narrative and documentary features and shorts plus a special category of short films by High School Student Filmmakers. Panel discussions and/or Q&A’s follow many special screenings, framing provocative conversations with filmmakers/producers, academics, as well as the business community.

AIFF is readying the red carpet for Opening Night at Arlington’s Capitol Theatre on October 27th. Join in the excitement as you mingle with visiting filmmakers, community leaders, and other film lovers at this year’s After-Party hosted at ZA Restaurant, 138 Massachusetts Avenue in Arlington. Filmmakers and panelists will be in attendance. VIP Ticket and Festival Pass-holders will receive priority seating at the theater and are invited to the After-Party. Come and enjoy delicious hors d’oeuvres while engaging in stimulating conversation at the ZA Restaurant!

The Arlington International Film Festival’s mission is to foster appreciation for different cultures by exploring the lives of people around the globe through independent film — to nurture the next generation of filmmakers. We screen narrative and documentary features and shorts plus a special category of short films by High School Student Filmmakers. Panel discussions and/or Q&A’s follow many special screenings, framing provocative conversations with filmmakers/producers, academics, as well as the business community.

Design and Diversity – a Great Combination

Mount Ida Students compete in Poster Competition for Arlington International Film Festival

When Alison Poor-Donahue, Chair of the Design & Digital Media department at Mount Ida College was approached about her students entering a poster design competition for the Arlington International Film Festival, the answer was a very quick “of course, my students would love the challenge.”

Not only would this be an excellent opportunity for students to get a glimpse into the industry, but it would offer a chance to create a beautiful portfolio piece that could help them launch their careers.

“Our graphic design program provides a solid skills-based foundation for visual communication including typography, branding, and digital production. At the same time it is very hands-on, giving the students as much real-world experience as possible,” says Poor-Donahue.

Involvement in exciting competitions such as this is at the core of the School of Design and Mount Ida College’s mission to provide career-relevant education. “We strive to have every student graduate with several examples of real-world projects in their portfolio. In fact, prospective employers see the value of hiring a Mount Ida College graduate because of these unique experiences and their understanding of how to produce a successful product from concept to execution,” says Poor-Donahue.

“The parents of our students are drawn to our curriculum due to its focus on preparing our students to compete for entry-level industry positions,” says Poor-Donahue.

As part of those real-world requirements to gain their degrees, students must not only complete internships, but they also are required to enter two competitions per year.

The Arlington International Film Festival knew of Mount Ida as one of their Advisors, Steven Jurgensmeyer is an adjunct faculty member at the Newton-based college. “The Arlington International Film Festival’s mission is to foster appreciation for different cultures by exploring the lives of people around the globe through independent film,” says festival organizer Alberto Guzman. “We knew that Mount Ida shared our mission, having one of the most diverse campuses and providing opportunities to many, many first-generation students. We knew it would be a perfect match.”

2016 AIFF Poster Contest Press Announcement & Reception

Embrace diversity and celebrate individuality

This year the Arlington International Film Festival (AIFF) has taken a different path with its annual Poster Contest Competition. After five years of high school student competitions, and in keeping with the vision and mission of promoting the next generation, it was decided to offer this design opportunity to college students. Graphic Design students at Mount Ida College have been exclusively chosen by AIFF to participate in this year’s Poster Design Contest.

Please join us for the 2016 AIFF Poster Contest Press Announcement & Reception on Thursday, April 21, 7 PM at the Arlington Center for the Arts, 41 Foster Street, Arlington for an evening of music by Slow Boat Home, hors d’oeuvres and beverages. All poster submissions will be on display and the winning poster will be unveiled.

The competition seeks a creative vision that expresses the multi-cultural nature of the film festival, embracing diversity as well as celebrating individuality. The winner of the contest will receive a $500 USD award and the winning poster will be featured on all materials; i.e. newspapers, magazines, TV, website, social media, film boards locally, nationally and internationally. www.AIFFest.org

About Mount Ida College

Founded in 1899, Mount Ida College is a small, private college in Newton, MA, just minutes from Boston. Mount Ida provides career-focused programs built upon a strong foundation in the social sciences, humanities and the arts, all developed and implemented to prepare students for success in their chosen fields of endeavor. With a tight-knit, inclusive community, a diverse student body, winning NCAA Division III sports teams, a beautiful and safe suburban campus and a vibrant school spirit, Mount Ida is the place where students become the best version of themselves. www.mountida.edu

Slow Boat Home: Jug, Country and Blues Music

Slow Boat Home plays the music your great-grandfather might have enjoyed - if he had truly eclectic tastes and traveled the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers from Louisville to Memphis and on down to New Orleans… a mixture of jug band, country and blues music spanning the first half of the 20th century and stretching into some classic country of the 1950s and 60s. www.SlowBoatHome.com

The Arlington Center for the Arts is a community arts center devoted to the mission of "transforming lives and building community through the arts." ACA was established in 1988 by a visionary group of artists, writers, musicians and educators as a place where artists could share their work with the community through educational and outreach programs. Today, ACA is a vibrant community arts center and a cornerstone for the creative community in Arlington. ACA offers opportunities for people of all ages to discover and express their own creativity and to appreciate the creativity of others through a dynamic mix of classes, workshops, exhibits, performances and special events. www.acarts.org

The Gibbs Gallery at ACA: The Gibbs Gallery features over 250 local artists each year in open and juried exhibits. Next up in the Gibbs Gallery: “Humans of Arlington,” ACA’s 13th annual Images of Arlington show featuring work by local emerging and established artists, with an accompanying 5th grade exhibit, featuring artwork by more than 400 Arlington public school students.

From the Passim School of Music to

AIFF Poster Contest Award Reception

Slow Boat Home: Jug, Country and Blues Music

As always the Arlington International Film Festival (AIFF), celebrates the arts and this year SLOW BOAT HOME, will play for this year’s Poster Contest Press Announcement & Reception.

Slow Boat Home plays the music your great-grandfather might have enjoyed - if he had truly eclectic tastes and traveled the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers from Louisville to Memphis and on down to New Orleans. A mixture of jug band, country and blues music that spans the first half of the 20th century, stretching into some classic country of the 1950s and 60s such as the Louvin Brothers and Hank Snow. All four members share the lead vocals, accompanied by harmonica, mandolin, bass, acoustic and National resonator guitars and a 1915 antique banjo-mandolin that survived WWI with the US Army in France.

Formed in 2011 as an outgrowth of Blues, Folk, Honky Tonk, and Jug Band ensembles from the renowned Passim School of Music, Slow Boat Home blends original song writing with creative song interpretations. Their distinctive sounds are blended from a wide array of inspiring songsters – from Cab Calloway to The Inks Spots; from Big Bill Broonzy to Lightnin’ Hopkins; from George Brassens to Bola de Nieve; from the Memphis Jug Band to the Kweskin Jug Band; and many others.

Whether original tunes or original interpretations this is a band that likes to have fun celebrating the essence of the songs, sometimes rowdy, often freewheeling, and always engaged with each other and the audience. The camaraderie and musical craftsmanship of the band provides for an infectious musical adventure on that slow boat home. www.SlowBoatHome.com

We invite you to join AIFF and the administration, faculty and students of Mount Ida College on Thursday, April 21, 7:00 PM hosted by the Arlington Center for the Arts, 41 Foster Street, Arlington. Come and enjoy an evening of creative poster art, motivating music and great hors d’oeuvres… an evening that promises to be entertaining!

Judges Join 2016 AIFF Selection Committee

The Arlington International Film Festival (AIFF) is pleased to announce four judges that will join this year’s Selection Committee. Joining the existing 9 judges, they will view and evaluate film submissions and decide on films that meet the criteria to be screened in the 2016 Festival scheduled for October 27 – 30 as well as those films that will receive awards. We welcome them to the AIFF team and are extremely honored to have such luminaries working with us. They join our esteemed Selection Committee members: Alice Bouvrie, Barbara Costa, Elizabeth DiNolfo, John Kusiak, Bob Nesson, Charles Scheurhoff, Eric Stange, Marga Varea, Brynmore Williams.

Lawrence Benedict, a graduate of the National Theatre School of Canada, has studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, New York, and is a veteran of the Stratford Shakespeare Festival of Canada. He has performed on stage in over 42 full Equity productions, as well as in TV and film, in both United States and Canada, starring in the Canadian Police series, The Collaborators, seen world-wide. Lawrence is also an accomplished precision driver for movies and TV and did his own driving in “The Collaborators.” He recently acted in the short film by Jorge S. Pallás, “In Girum Imus Nocte” which is a 2016 Festival de Cannes Court Métrage Corner Selection, and is gathering accolades from a variety of film festivals.

In Los Angeles, while continuing to perform in movies and TV, he moved behind the camera and started his own company “Angus Lake Productions.” In this capacity he learned most behind-the-camera disciplines while producing promotional video for major Hollywood studios such as Universal and for directors such as Steven Spielberg. He has edited Disney trailers, is a movie editor and an Apple Certified Final Cut Pro Trainer. A full-length feature he edited, "Forgiving the Franklins," by filmmaker Jay Floyd, became a Sundance Selection in 2006. Lawrence has taught at Banff School of Fine Arts, UCLA Extension, Learning Tree University, and Screen Actors Guild.

Continuing to act on stage and in film, he has been doing “physical theatre” at MiMoDa Jazzo Dance Studio in Los Angeles and currently performs with the improv company “The Playground” which is supported by The Stuntmen’s Association under the guidance of Vice President, John Moio and director Janiece Jary.

He is the author of “The Video Demo Tape” – published by Focal Press, and “How to Shoot Better Camcorder Videos; Help from the Hollywood Pros,” available on Barnes&Noble.com, etc.

He is very proud to be a member of the Arlington International Film Festival’s Selection Committee.

Rick Beyer is an award winning documentary filmmaker, a best-selling author, and a lifelong history enthusiast. His documentaries have appeared on PBS, The History Channel, A&E, and National Geographic. His 2013 film The Ghost Army premiered on PBS, was broadcast in more than 25 countries, and is the winner of a CINE Golden Eagle. Other notable credits include Expedition Apocalypse, The Wright Challenge, First Shot, and Secrets of Jamestown. He is the co-author (with Liz Sayles) of the 2015 book The Ghost Army of World War II, published by Princeton Architectural Press. It is now being developed as a Hollywood movie. Rick is also the author of the popular Greatest Stories Never Told series of history books, published by Harper Collins. When not working, Beyer can sometimes be found sculling on the Charles River. A graduate of Dartmouth College, he currently lives in Lexington, Massachusetts, with his wife, Marilyn Rea Beyer.

Paul Dervis has written over two dozen plays. His MAKING TRACKS won the 1986 New York One Act Play Festival at the Nat Horne Theatre on Manhattan's Theatre Row. In 1990 his play POKEY had an extended run Off -Broadway at the Paul Mazur Theatre and subsequently was turned into a film in 2003 by Canada's Dream Weaver Studios. In 2000, his play ...ON ANY MONDAY NIGHT was listed as Best Play of the Year from Dennis Armstrong in the Ottawa Sun. In the 1990's he had three plays, A HARMLESS LITTLE KISS, YOUNG ENOUGH TO KNOW BETTER, and CLARE PAST MIDNIGHT honored as Hit of the Festival in Halifax Nova Scotia's Atlantic Fringe Festival. In 2014, his play THE LAST DISCIPLE OF ABRAHAM was performed at New York's Hudson Warehouse Theatre and SO FAR AWAY was workshopped this past summer in Manhattan's Urban Stages.

Paul has been teaching drama in Canada at Algonquin College as well as the Theatre Conservatory Ottawa School of Speech & Drama for the past 15 years. Previously, he ran theatre companies in Boston, New York, and Montreal. He has directed over 150 stage productions, receiving two dozen awards for his work. Paul has also directed six films, the most recent being 2011′s The Righteous Tithe.

Sophie Seifried started her career in Berlin, Germany at MTV Networks’ development and acquisition department, where she was involved in bringing shows like South Park, Family Guy and Futurama to the German market. Seifried moved on to work in international distribution, sales and marketing at Inferno Entertainment where she worked on films like KILLING THEM SOFTLY, directed by Andrew Dominik, starring Brad Pitt, James Gandolfini, Richard Jenkins; THE GREY, directed by Joe Carnahan, starring Liam Neeson; the academy award nominated THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT, directed by Lisa Cholodenko, starring Julianne Moore, Annette Bening, Mark Ruffalo; BROKEN CITY, directed by Allen Hughes, starring Mark Wahlberg, Russell Crowe, Catherine Zeta-Jones to name just a few. Sophie currently works at Epic Pictures Group, an independent studio based in Hollywood, where she works on titles such as the British Independent Award Winning Comedy NINA FOREVER, directed by Ben and Chris Blaine, starring Fiona O’Shaughnessy and Abigail Hardingham. Jerusalem Film Festival winning thriller JERUZALEM, directed by Doron and Yoav Paz, starring Yael Grobglas, Yon Tumarkin and Danielle Jadelyn. Fantasia Film Festival, SXSW Film Festival and Sitges Film Festival winning action adventure TURBO KID, directed by Francois Simard, Anouk Whissell and Yoan-Karl Whissell, starring Munro Chambers, Laurence Leboeuf and Michael Ironside. Sundance Premiere and Locarno Film Festival Winning Comedy ENTERTAINMENT, directed by Rick Alverson, starring Gregg Turkington.

Judges Join the 2016 AIFF Poster Contest Selection Committee

The Arlington International Film Festival (AIFF) is pleased to announce two judges that will join this year’s Poster Contest Selection Committee. Joining the existing 5 judges, they will review poster entries, evaluating the work based on visual appeal, content and marketability and will choose the winning poster that will become the face of the 2016 Arlington International Film Festival. We welcome them to the AIFF team and are exceptionally honored to have such accomplished artists working with us. They join our esteemed Selection Committee members: Larry Blumsack, Jennifer Cheng DesAutels, Marc Gurton, Steven Jurgensmeyer and Niloufer Moochhala.

Jeannet Leendertse is the owner of jldesign and mooizeg. jldesign provides services to the publishing industry and those who look to publish independently. Jeannet has created books and covers for a wide variety of clients, among which are The ICA Boston, the Peabody Museum Press, and filmmaker Robert Gardner. Previously she was senior designer at The MIT Press. Her work was recognized by the Leipzig International Book Competition, has appeared in PRINT, and is in the AIGA archives. Jeannet is Dutch and received her Bachelor of Arts, cum laude, at Academie St. Joost, The Netherlands. Recently she has turned her attention to fiber design. mooizeg products are in the gift collection of Boston's Museum of Fine Arts, and can be found at the Society of Arts and Crafts. You can view her work at www.jlbookdesign.com and www.mooizeg.com.

Ingrid de Aguiar Sanchez creates prints, drawings and installations that examine cultural and linguistic hybridism as a method of adaption and survival. In her ongoing project Fragmentos, she intervenes walls with graphic and organic imagery arranged in mosaic-like collages. Reminiscent of a building façade in her native Brazil, the work references different forms of visual expression that transpire in public space such as contemporary graffiti and colonial-era baroque design. Ingrid received her BFA from The Maryland Institute College of Art in 2006 and her MFA from Tufts University in 2011. She received The Elizabeth A. Sackler Museum Grant to pursue a Post-Baccalaureate Certificate at the Studio Art Centers International in Florence, Italy. Ingrid currently is a Community Arts Instructor at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston.

MOVIE-BLOGGER.COM…a Proud Partner of the 2016 AIFF

The Arlington International Film Festival (AIFF), a small international film festival, but… perhaps not so small on the festival circuit is recognized nationally and internationally. Today AIFF is announcing that MOVIE-BLOGGER.COM is a proud partner of the 2016 Festival.

Proof that AIFF is not marginalized to Arlington, Massachusetts, it is receiving global market attention reinforcing its persistency to bring the best of Independent films to Arlington and the Greater Boston area.

Public relations, communication and reaching out to community comprise the implemented offensive strategy of bringing together movie goers, students, businesses, colleges and universities with sponsors and media to promote AIFF’s mission, “to foster appreciation for different cultures by exploring the lives of people around the globe through independent film”.

Movie-Blogger.com

UK based, Movie-Blogger.com started life in 2012 as a movie review community website allowing members to post and share movie reviews and blogs online. The site was created to help build a directory of movie reviews in one place and allow reviewers and bloggers to share their passion for movies.

In February 2016 everything changed. After a number of years being a place for users to post and share reviews online the decision was made to change the format of the website, giving reviewers and readers more of what they wanted and less of what they did not want.

The website has evolved into the first place to visit for the latest movie news, reviews, trailers, vlogs and indie movies. Now featuring a Film Festival Diary page, Movie-Blogger.com is recognizing the work of independent film makers and the festivals that promote them. Movie-Bloggers.com, keeping the same community based ethos, but building that platform to become a ‘fully-loaded’ website, giving reviewers and vloggers more flexibility on what they can do while ensuring the delivery of quality content on a daily basis at the touch of a button!

AIFF & iPitch.tv: 2016 Partners

A Connection with Creators and Buyers of Original Projects for Film, TV & Web/Digital Media

The Arlington International Film Festival (AIFF) is building local, national and international partnerships with its goal of reaching out to independent filmmakers. As a part of this engagement, AIFF proudly announces that iPitch.TV is on board, intensifying the reach to domestic and international filmmakers and opening the market and public relations efforts with audiences all over the world. There is no doubt that iPitch.tv will provide AIFF with the opportunity to create a national presence and continue the success that AIFF is looking to attain. “We’re particularly excited to be working with iPitch.tv” said Alberto Guzman founder of AIFF.

According to Guzman, “in today’s hype-ridden marketing environment it’s refreshing to be working with a qualified and credentialed professional agency dedicated to serving as a platform to TV, producers, independent filmmakers, creators in the industry and to providing them with high quality service. Going into AIFF’s sixth year of production, we need to have fresh ideas and some new approaches to introduce a reimagined brand identity. One of the biggest challenges in this industry is perception and this is a perfect time for global recognition and this particular partnership. iPitch.tv andAIFF are moving in the same direction and command commitment on both sides to tell the story in an inspiring and engaging way.

About iPitch.tv

iPitch.tv is the Film and Television Industry's newest marketplace for direct connection of Creators and Buyers of original projects for Film, TV & Web/Digital Media. iPitch.tv delivers a next generation platform for creators of both video produced and written pitches and is founded on the core belief that if a highly original pitch can meet the mind and eyes of the right Entertainment Industry Professional, there is no "gatekeeper" or “closed door” that can prevent that pitch from meeting its destiny as a produced film, television show or streaming media program.

With broadcasters and exhibitors of all kinds clamoring for new and original content, and fierce competition amongst producers to provide it, there has never been a bigger market for media pitches.

iPitch.tv bridges the gap between creators with new undiscovered pitches and entertainment industry professionals scouting for new ideas. iPitch.tv offers creators and filmmakers the opportunity to directly access Entertainment Industry Executives and gives those Executives an unparalleled sourcing tool for fresh material.

iPitch.tv is the brainchild of TV/Film industry veterans Erik Adams and Scott Manville who bring a combined 35 years of experience in tv/film development and production.

Erik Adams brings two decades of industry experience in physical production and in long-form television development. Erik has contributed to dozens of hit TV shows and blockbuster feature films with experience ranging from production services to Developing and Producing original unscripted television to branded digital media for uber brands such as Acura, Hyundai, Mazda, and Suzuki. Erik’s experience in searching for original unscripted TV concepts and producing pitch reels has helped shape iPitch.tv’s user experience. Erik co-developed all aspects of iPitch.tv’s functionality for what is quickly becoming the "standard" sourcing tool for the Industry. “iPitch was conceived by Scott and I to level the playing field in terms of Pitching Media Concepts. Historically the Entertainment business has been a CLOSED DOOR to anyone outside the industry trying to contribute ideas yet we in this industry are constantly stepping outside that same closed door to look for fresh new ideas. We created iPitch as a form of wish fulfillment. We created a sourcing tool that we as Entertainment Industry Executives wanted.”

Scott Manville forged a new method of sourcing concepts for producers and executives when he developed and founded the Television Writers Vault, delivering concepts from everyday people to production and global broadcast on networks including Lifetime TV, A&E, Discovery Channel, SyFy, Velocity, OLN, UKTV, and others. Collaborating with Adams in launching iPitch.tv, they've answered the call of the industry for a video-centric marketplace where industry buyers can connect with creators and filmmakers. Manville is a former lead development executive for Merv Griffin Entertainment, and served as Producer for two seasons of Lifetime TV's "Kim of Queen" series. "I view myself as a champion for the new producer and creator. Educating and facilitating with a service like iPitch.tv gives creators the opportunity and success that their projects deserve. And that's equally beneficial for the industry."

iPitch.tv is a Free Service for qualified TV/Film Professionals, delivering an unparalleled sourcing tool that is both dynamic and convenient, connecting you with Creators of video-taped and written pitches for your consideration. Scout video, sizzle reels and pitches in all genres. Discovering your next hit movie or tv show is just a few clicks away.

AIFF partners with artscope: New England’s Premiere Cultural Magazine

The Arlington International Film Festival (AIFF) is exceptionally pleased to partner with artscope Magazine, New England’s premiere cultural magazine now in its 10th year of publication, and is emphatic about taking art to the public and providing readers with an understanding of the process, while also reviewing local and international artists exhibiting/screening throughout the Northeast.

Artscope is a media company that promotes the exchange of information and ideas, and believes in being approachable, inclusive and relevant. Its content brings to the forefront an understanding of the arts as it reflects artists’ work. artscope also works in a timely and informative manner with its bi-monthly issue, as well as bi-weekly email Blasts!, a weekly online zine, an up-to-date mobile app, and a tablet Newsstand edition, available in iOS. These editions also include various features, reviews, and listings of art in all kinds of mediums. artscope Magazine works to remain objective, while including a variety of work that has a balanced flow and significance to the arts, academia, and extended community.

Alberto Guzman, Organizer of AIFF, and Kaveh Mojtabai, Publisher of artscope Magazine, will be working together to bring an intimate and personal experience to readers that feature conversations with independent filmmakers, both local and international, as well as reaching out to producers, actors, writers, students, professors and business leaders in the film industry who are creating a market place for ideas in visual communication.

AIFF is an award winning organization with its mission being to foster appreciation for different cultures by exploring the lives of people around the globe through independent film. With its annual festival in October, AIFF takes movie-goers on cinematic journeys, transporting them to lands far away and back home again. Featuring a poster contest competition, kick-off and closing events with fine arts exhibits, international dance companies and musicians, AIFF celebrates the arts and believes that the arts are here to connect us, to communicate across boundaries and touch our common humanity. As part of its mission of nurturing the next generation, AIFF screens a category of shorts by High School Filmmakers.

For both AIFF and artscope, it is about effectively staging the product. Beyond the decisions of what to publish, artscope is about new processes for the new business world. AIFF also has a converging number of factors that influence not only what films are brought to Boston, but adding value to viewing a film. The packaging of Q&A’s and/or panel discussions provide an opportunity for a multi-dimensional experience, interacting with filmmakers and experts on topics of major interest to us today. he festival offers a unique opportunity for cross-cultural education by promoting understanding of the many cultures represented in our town and beyond, recognizing that such diversity enriches our community. We believe that our annual international film festival highlights core values and aspirations we share in common with our culturally diverse neighbors and with all members of the global human family.

Mount Ida College Students Vie to Create Poster for Arlington International Film Festival

(Newton, MA) – February 22, 2016 - Graphic Design students at Mount Ida College have been chosen by the Arlington International Film Festival (AIFF) to be this year’s participants in the Film Festival’s annual Poster Design contest.

The posters, done under the auspices of Mount Ida’s School of Design are to capture the essence of the Film Festival – to promote cultural understanding by exploring diversity through independent film. The poster selected by an expert panel of judges will be used to promote the Festival locally, nationally and internationally.

“We are very excited to have been chosen by the good folks at the Arlington International Film Festival and know that our students will present them with some very difficult choices to make,” says Alison Poor-Donahue, Design and Digital Media Department Chair.

“It was a logical choice for our festival,” says Alberto Guzman, founder and organizer of AIFF. “We look for fresh eyes, exciting design and an affinity to what we are trying to accomplish with our annual Festival. Knowing the strong diversity on the Mount Ida College campus, we knew it would instantly resonate.”

NOVA’s Secret Life of Scientists to Open the Fifth Annual Arlington International Film Festival

NOVA’s Secret Life of Scientists LIVE -- An Entertaining Evening with some of Our Country’s Most Compelling Scientists and Engineers. Presented by NOVA and Winton Capital Management.

A rock star hanging out with a beauty pageant winner isn't surprising. But it is surprising when they're both also MIT-trained scientists. Meet them - and more fascinating scientists and engineers.

Secret Life of Scientists Executive Producer Joshua Seftel and Producer Tom Miller will lead a “talk show” style presentation featuring short films and live interviews with notable scientists featured in the Emmy-nominated series including:

• Engineer/Classic Rock God Tom Scholz from the band Boston

• Biologist/Miss Massachusetts Pageant Winner ErikaEbbel

• Experimental Psychologist/Late-Night TV Foil StevenPinker

• Psycholinguist/Highway Speed Demon JeanBerkoGleason

• Roboticist/Adventure Sportsman ColinAngle

• String Theorist/Science-Faith Navigator JimGates

• Alzheimer's Researcher/Aerosmith Sideman RudyTanzi

After Party at Cambridge Brewing Co.

2015 AIFF Kick-Off: A world of ideas, emotions and vision

44 artists of varying ethnicities and mediums presenting

You can enjoy 44 contemporary artists, musicians, dancers, and filmmakers from around the world at Arlington Town Hall Auditorium on Friday September 25th, 7:00 PM. In celebration of the ‘arts’, the Arlington International Film Festival has organized an evening of entertainment that will begin with an eclectic art exhibit accompanied by a pianist playing the film scores that are familiar to many. The featured local artists from the greater Boston area represent as many ethnicities as the mediums they use to create their art. Acrylics, batik, dye on carved and tooled leather, glassblowing, geometric mathematical sculpture, mosaics, oil, paper cut, photography, stone sculpture, watercolors, and wood are some of the mediums employed by these artists to illustrate their unique representation of the world, their ideas or emotions. Master of Ceremonies, David Whitford will guide us through the remainder of the evening’s program that will feature guest speaker, filmmaker and academic, Chico Colvard, a commemoration of the Armenian genocide centennial with a presentation from the Sayat Nova Dance Companyand conclude with the screening of a short international film. It is an honor to celebrate with this remarkable group of creative and skilled New England artists.

WHY an art exhibit to kick-off the 5th annual Arlington International Film Festival?

Because we view the arts as an essential part of film!

Let’s meet the artists!

Zachary Abel ~ Pennypincher

Zachary Abel's Mathematical Sculptures investigate intricate geometric patterns and relationships hidden in plain sight. He coaxes elaborate, precise works of art from mundane, often overlooked household items, proving that beautiful mathematics is never far from reach. Originally from Dallas, Texas, Zachary is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Discrete Geometry and Mathematical Origami at the MIT Mathematics and Computer Science departments.

Susan Altman

Susan Altman has always loved creating art that serves a function fromwheel-thrown ceramics, watercolors, pastels, jewelry making, bead making, quilting—and has focused on mosaics for the last ten years.

As an environmentalist and strong believer that the effects of climate change are upon us, Susan attempts to keep her impact on the Earth as small as possible, reclaiming and reusing materials whenever possible--giving new life to old frames, broken pottery, yard sale furniture, discarded bits of wood from construction projects, stones, shells, keys, even plastic parts from ink toner cartridges.

Over the past few years Susan has taught mosaics to many at her studio and at various local venues as part of the "Making Art Together" project of the Medford Arts Center, Inc. Her space at Jerome Street Studios in Medford, MA, is part of a fun, offbeat collection of other artists, including two painters, a fine jeweler, a guitarist, and a chef.

David Ardito

David Ardito is the Interim K-12 Director of Visual Art for the Arlington Public Schools. He currently teaches at Mass College of Art and Design in the Art Education Department. David attended the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art in New York City and the Syracuse University Graduate School of Visual Art receiving his BFA and MFA degrees respectively.

As a visual artist, he has been working in a variety of materials to create non-functional throne-like structures. One large ten-foot throne called “Toppled Throne” has recently been installed in the courtyard of the Arlington Center for the Arts on Foster Street in East Arlington. Ardito, a long time Arlington resident, is also very committed to the promotion of public art in Arlington and is a member of Arlington Public Art.

Apo Ashjian has been active in Armenian dance for more than 40 years and has performed extensively with Armenian dance ensembles as well as with the internationally renowned Mandala Folk Ensemble. Born in Syria and raised in Lebanon, Ashjian immigrated to the United States in 1970.

He was Director of the Erebouni Dance Ensemble of the Boston Chapter of Hamazka in (1980) and the Daron Dance Ensemble of the Greater Boston Chapter of the Armenian General Benevolent Union (1981-1985). He founded the Sayat Nova Dance Company in January 1986 and directed its premiere performance in November to an enthusiastic sold-out audience.

In October 1987, Ashjian traveled and studied with various dance ensembles in Armenia. At the invitation of the Committee for Cultural Relations with Armenians Abroad, he returned to Armenia in January 1990 and September 1992, to continue his training. He studied extensively with renowned choreographer and expert ethnographer Artousha Karapetian, mastering the art of dance. In 1994, he received his certification as an Armenian dance Director and Choreographer from the Dance Department of the Khatchadour Apovian School for the Performing Arts.

Ashjian once again journeyed to Armenia in August 1995 with the entire Sayat Nova Dance Company upon the official invitation of the Cultural Administration of Armenia - a rare and high honor for a diasporan dance troupe. In 2006, under his direction, the Group returned to Armenia once again to celebrate its 20th anniversary.

Chico Colvard ~ Guest Speaker

Chico received his J.D. from Boston College Law School. He is a Lecturer on “Race, Law & Media”, “Social Justice Documentaries” and Foundering Film Series Curator at the University of Massachusetts, Boston. His award-winning documentary, FAMILY AFFAIR, was screened at the Arlington International Film Festival in 2011. FAMILY AFFAIR premiered at Sundance and has broadcast on the Oprah Winfrey Network: OWN and other cable channels around the world. He is a Sundance Creative Producing Fellow, Firelight Media Producing Fellow and Filmmaker-in-Residence at WGBH. He received funding from the Ford Foundation, LEF Moving Image Fund, Paul Robeson Fund for Independent Media and Vital Projects Fund. Chico is a frequent guest speaker at colleges and universities, moderator, film festival panelist and former juror at Full Frame, Silverdocs and IFFBoston. We are delighted to welcome Chico Colvard as this year’s Guest Speaker for the AIFF Kick-Off.

Bob DiNatale

Photographer, lecturer and author, Bob DiNatale conducts workshops, lectures and private instruction in the area of digital photography. His recent book, The Optimum Digital Exposure, presents an understanding of digital exposure and explains how to determine and obtain the optimum digital exposure for your scene.

Beginning serious photography in 1965, Bob explored conventional darkroom techniques in both B&W and color. His work at Polaroid R&D in silver emulsions along with his U.S. patent in color printing give Bob a broad base in film photography. He presented his first digital media production in 1984, founded the Olympus School of Digital Photography in 1998 and continues to work at the leading edge of digital. He is an instructor for both the Nikon and Time Life Schools of Photography

Kevin Duffy

Kevin Duffy, a resident of Arlington for 28 years, attended The Montserrat College of Art in Beverly, MA and the Academie Beeldende Kunsten in Rotterdam, Netherlands. After working for many years in the field of graphic design, about ten years ago Kevin began working in stone and continues to develop his sculpture.

Marilyn Goodrich

Marilyn Goodrich is a fine artist interested in the intersection of literature and art, illuminated manuscripts and artist books, ancient and living languages, archaeology, sacred geography, and the sense of wonder. She likes to juxtapose and reinterpret ancient genres and materials: for example, encaustic wax and plexiglas in artist books inspired by ancient wax tablet books and interpreting a Beat writer. Marilyn also enjoys collaborations. She assisted the late Professor Kenneth Hale, a language professor at MIT by illustrating the first published works in Ulwa, an indigenous language of the Atlantic Coast of Nicaragua. Marilyn has collaborated with bookbinders on artist books, most notably the renowned Daniel Kelm. She is spending her days of late studying the ancient, inspiring coastline rock formations of the island of Nahant as pictured above.

Joe Hardwick

Joe Hardwick, originally from Ohio, has made Cambridge his home since the 90's. He is the principal of Hardwick Consultants, Inc., an accounting, bookkeeping and management consulting company. Maintaining a passion for the piano since studying as a youth, Mr. Hardwick is now under the tutelage of Kai-Ching Chang, a master pianist at New School of Music in Cambridge.

Yuri Hayano

Yuri Hayano is a Japanese painter who uses acrylic paint to make her surrealistic paintings bright and colorful. Her art work is inspired by nature, her weird dreams and movies. In Tokyo, she presented her art show, Lily Lights in 2005. Yuri was commissioned in 2014 to paint a mural for the Boston Back Bay Thai restaurant, Chilli Duck. She exhibited in the Cambridge Open studios at Lesley University in 2015 and most recently she joined the Artist in Residency program at Industry Lab in Cambridge, MA. Her solo art show is scheduled at Industry Lab in August.

Sirarpi Heghinnian-Walzer

Sirarpi’s artwork is in many collections nationally and internationally. She has received awards and exhibited her work, including installations, in galleries throughout Europe and the United States. She currently lives and works in Lexington, MA. Sirarpi is an artist member of Gallery263 in Cambridge, MA, she serves on the boards of the Cambridge Art Association and Non-Profit Net in Massachusetts. Sirarpi is the principal of Consult and Design, a small-business IT consulting firm. She is the co-founder and director of Art Without Borders, an online community that champions the rights of artists. She also founded the Artists’ Cooking Collaborative, which caters events with artistically inspired and locally produced food.

In Europe, Sirarpi worked with artists Andrej Woron, Milan Knížák, and Peter Erskine, and in the USA, with Timothy Harney and Ati Gropius, among others.

Andrew Iannnazzi

Andrew Iannazzi is a designer and artist working in Cambridge, Massachusetts creating one of a kind hand- made glass.

Iannazzi is interested in iconic design language and imagery. He draws from historical Italian and Swedish design as well as American popular imagery. Glassblowing is the perfect medium for the investigation of these issues. Iannazzi uses his objects to explore functionality, form, and iconic representations

One of three Guests of the Community Day Center of Waltham ~

Jeannine Redman

This year we welcome the photography of Guests from The Community Day Center of Waltham, a non-profit organization providing day shelter and social services to homeless individuals since 2003. The mission of the Center is to support homeless individuals and those in need to shape and meet their life goals, accepting and respecting people where they are and seeking to help them access the necessary tools and services to move toward stability.

Photograph of feet on brick is by Jeannine Redman. When she became homeless and started the process of visiting organizations to ask for help, she was told there were no funds available and was referred from one organization after another. Some of those organizations sent her back to places she had already visited. She described this time in her life as "walking around in circles". When she found this circle of bricks in Boston it became a photographic metaphor that represented her experience with the system. Jeannie is an RN who was able to flee an abusive husband. She was only homeless for a few months and has since moved to Florida to be close to her family and work in Hospice Care.

Zhonghe (Elena) Li

Zhonghe Li is a multi-media artist however in the past five years her efforts have focused on Chinese traditional paper cutting with a pair of scissors only. Philosophically she is very fond of Taoism. Believing that our spirituality comes from nature, Li’s concern has been how our human “progress” has not only endangered the existence of other species, but also challenged traditional ways of living everywhere in the world. Chinese traditional paper cutting has Taoist philosophy behind its form, a disappearing art form in China amidst the rapid urbanization. Li says of this lovely form of art, “not only Chinese traditional paper cuts are beautiful, but also the philosophy they carry is relevant to the great issues of our time – our departure from nature and our impact on the environment and on the surviving of other species

Oneness is a piece created for the Audubon Society Boston Nature Center's spring auction. It is inspired by a painting of two passenger pigeons (extinct 100 years ago) on two branches by Mr. Audubon.

Arena Watkins Matthis

Born in Louisiana during the great depression, Arena Watkins Matthis learned early that much could be made of little; she still lives by that motto. Most of Matthis’s life, she has excelled as an income tax specialist and real estate broker but in 1995 she decided to pursue art and began her art training with John Ember of Harvard University. Although it seemed far from taxation and brokerage, there were commonalities, constant hand movements, passion for the work, the desire to help others, and creativity. Matthis’s intent for the viewer of her art is that one may “see within“, something that will compel them to become self-reflective and that self-reflection will result in an energized and peaceful spirit. Her art showings include Mount Auburn Cemetery’s A Glimpse Beyond in October 2014, Cambridge, MA, Cambridge Open Studios in 2013 and 2011, Brattle Theater’s Art House in 2013, Cambridge, MA and 119 Gallery in 2012, Lowell, MA.

Nancy J. Muise

Born and raised in Burlington, MA, Nancy Muise was inspired by her high school art teachers and grew passionate about painting, drawing and working with clay. She studied oil painting with Joanne and Vincent Tringali for 4 years. A graduate of Mass College of Art and Montserrart College of Art, Nancy received her Masters in Art Education from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts and Tufts University. Her thesis project was “A Teachers Guide to Incorporate Public Art in the Classroom.” Muise has been teaching art in Arlington since 1994, and currently teaches art at the high school level, specializing in ceramics. Several collaborative mosaic tile murals created by her students are installed in municipal buildings throughout Arlington. Painting outdoors, “in plein air” is what she enjoys most. In her travels whether it is New England, the Southwest, or Hawaii, the sky, land, water and ever-changing light moves her creative soul. “Seeing and reflecting, I feel a connectedness with God and nature.” She enjoys spending time with her husband Paul, family and new grandchildren.

Michael Rose

Michael Rose is a commercial photographer, specializing in portraiture and event photography. After a successful career in sales manufacturing and having developed an appreciation for the photography used for much of the retail graphics in signage hardware, Rose retired from his position and devoted himself to the art of photography. He has been working in the field for eight years and has developed a passion for street photography, capturing the decisive moment where things come together or a gesture is captured in a frame of the viewfinder. Rose describes himself as ‘a people shooter, loving to catch an expression, a gesture, all the while telling a story”. Rose names Henri Cartier Bresson, Robert Doisneau and Halász Brassaï as photographers that have been inspiring.

Michael Rose’s work has been published in a number of magazines as well as CNN online; his images have been hung on corporate walls and offices and shown in a number of exhibitions in the greater Boston area. When not on a shoot, he volunteers with Non-Profits to assist them with documenting their events. Rose lives in Arlington with his wife, Charlotte.

Nilou Moochhala

Nilou Moochhala is the founding principal of Nymdesign, a multi-disciplinary design studio focusing on digital and print media. Over the past 15 years, Nymdesign has worked with small and large organizations that include Microsoft Corporation, United Nations, Amnesty International, MBTA, Harvard & Yale Universities, Museum of the City of New York, Fleur de Sel Restaurant, and UMProject, among others. Prior to forming Nymdesign, Moochhala worked with a variety of organizations such as Sotheby’s, Smithsonian Institution, New Museum, and Conde Nast. Moochhala received her Masters of Fine Arts in Graphic Design from the Yale University School of Art, and Bachelor’s in Studio Art from Mount Holyoke College. She has served as adjunct professor at the State University of New York at Purchase, and been a visiting critic at the Maryland Institute of Contemporary Art. She is a member of AIGA Boston and is a design critic for their Annual Student Portfolio Review. She is an award recipient of a 2015 Massachusetts Cultural Council grant for her public art project “I Am Arlington”.

“I Am Arlington” is a community and public art project that seeks to highlight the diversity and uniqueness of this town. It consists of interviews with various members of the Arlington community: administrators, community stakeholders, 1st/2nd/3rd generation families, young parents, and other relevant groups. These responses (to date) have been made into a series of “I Am Arlington” cards. Each card focuses on a specific characteristic of the town, combined with historical images from the Arlington Historical Society. Through the process of “making visual” the different experiences, feelings, and thoughts of this vibrant and multi-faceted community, it aims to promote new conversations about art, diversity, and what it means to belong.

Winfred Rembert

Winfred Rembert, no stranger to Arlington, MA, is a nationally recognized African American painter who was the subject of the award winning documentary film “ALL ME: The Life and Times of Winfred Rembert” showcased in the 2012 Arlington International Film Festival. The film tells his amazing story of survival and his experiences with injustice and bigotry growing up in the segregated South. The imagery in his leather paintings illustrate his vivid memories of daily life singing in church, dancing in juke joints, working on a chain gang and working in the cotton fields of Georgia. Through his powerful work, Winfred Rembert has helped preserve an important and often disturbing chapter of American history. It is with pleasure that we welcome him back to Arlington.

Karl Stephan

Karl Stephanreturned to art-making twenty years after receiving his BFA at Guilford College in painting and printmaking. He has exhibited and sold work across the U.S. and on five continents. Stephan was named a Community Supported Artist in Cambridge for 2013. He holds a Master of Arts in Art Education from Tufts University and the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. He teaches at the Museum of Fine Arts and in his studio near Central Square in Cambridge.

Grounded in traditional craft and technique, his work is heavily inspired by street art and graffiti. “After more than ten years painting still lives, and five years documenting the local graffiti scene, I started a process of creative destruction, creating torn-paper collages out of old watercolor still lives. These improvisational works capture the energy and spontaneity of graffiti, and retain the rich texture of the mixed-media paintings sacrificed to make them.”

Betty Stone

Stone, a noted photographer, is a native of Boston and currently lives and works in Arlington. She was a member of the 2012 Photography Atelier16 with Karen Davis and Meg Birnbaum at the Griffin Museum of Photography in Winchester, MA. In addition to her love of dancing, her experiences living in Lisbon and Paris as well as her fascination with other languages and cultural perspectives have influenced her photographic eye. As an avid traveler and people watcher, Stone captures “slices of everyday life” and the diverse people in the places she visits.

Stone has exhibited her photographs in a variety of Boston venues. Recent juried group exhibitions include “The New Members’ show” at the Cambridge Art Association (CAA), “Order/Chaos,” CAA; “Scratching the Surface,” CAA; the 2011 Northeast and 2014 National Prize Shows, CAA, and Images of Arlington, Arlington Center for the Arts. Stone has work on exhibit at 13Forest Gallery, Arlington, MA. She is an active member of the Cambridge Art Association, the Winchester Artists Network, and the Arlington Center for the Arts.

George Summers, Jr.

George Summers, Jr. is a fiber artist who studied Illustration/Fiber at University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. He continued his studies in Amsterdam, Netherland completing three residencies with the organization “Art in Amsterdam”. Working primarily in Batik for the past 40 years, he has exhibited his work in numerous one-person and group shows around the country. His work has been published in Wind Toys that Spin, Sing, Twirl and Whirl (1999) by Cindy Burda, Sterling Books; The Ultimate T-shirt Book (1998) by Deborah Morgenthal, Lark Books; and The Crafters Book of Angels (1996) by Deborah Morgenthal, Sterling/Lark Books.

George currently lives in Somerville and is member of the Brickbottom Artist Association. He is the Retail Gallery Manager for The Society of Arts & Crafts in Boston and continues to create Batik as well as to teach at the Brookline Arts Center.

William Turville

A sculptor and architect, William Turville’s work ranges from festival sculpture and installations for the Revolving Museum, Somerville Arts Council and First Night Boston to commissioned work for institutions and corporations and unique work for themed shows, causes and charities, such as his Brickbottom Gallery installation on landmines and children, a FishBike artbike for Bikes Not Bombs and art furniture for the Mass. Homeless Coalition. Mr. Turville has done installation art and curated outdoor sculpture shows with Reclamation Artists, Bedford Center for the Arts, Emerson Umbrella and the Concord DPW. He is an active member of the Arts League of Lowell, Brickbottom Artists Association and Reclamation Artists and was previously on the Board of Directors of The Revolving Museum. He teaches sculpture at Arlington Center for the Arts and other art centers. A Pratt Institute graduate, he also studied at Mass. College of Art and The DeCordova Museum and has had several residencies at the Vermont Studio Center. His architecture and sculpture studio is located in Arlington, MA.

Henry Woodhull Gates

Henry Woodhull Gates has been a resident of Boston for 35 years. Through the 80's he developed pastel murals of the Southwest; through the 90's, clay bas-relief and display bowls evolved. By 2000 he moved operations to North Adams with a project conjoint to MASS MoCA: Ice Cream Art House. He soon returned to painting, and is a new artist at The Fenway Studios. His art is both traditional and conceptual; based on Old Masters toward figurative composition. Gates is a psychologist who teaches aesthetics and creativity; also a religious educator that utilizes symbolist materials for his oils and pastels.